The Witch's Husband
by LostInTheMystery
Summary: Twin brothers, twin problems, are faced with the issues of a food shortage and dark intent that lurks around them. Left alone in the woods, they face death when they come upon, of all things, a witch – in a house made of candy. Is this a blessing to the starving village or is the witch looking for more?
1. The Cow

**AN:** this story is written by Mysteryfan17 and me, Lostinthedreams, in third person shifting style like our previous story. Unlike that one, this is based off of Hansel and Gretel and will me much shorter, being posted literally as we write it.

It features Magic Kaito characters who have been changed around to fit in the story , either by messing with their family or their age. Their characterization will remain, for the most part, in tact though. So there should be nothing out of character aside from the family/age/location edits that had to happen.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Cow**

 _Our story begins, as most stories do, with our main character. In this case, instead of one being born into this world, we have two. And they couldn't be more different._

 _While one young boy, barely old enough to walk at the time, would find fascination with the trees and mud and the small parts of anything found in the trash, the other sought out more proper ways, preferring to read books than to fold them up into strange design, learn from nature instead of experiment with it. This second boy, born in the same few minutes, only the later of the two to emerge, found himself in the position of older brother instead of younger. Fair of hair and skin, so unlike his brother, the second boy was a teacher, the younger, the explorer. Together they got into more trouble then their parents could handle, both with far more curiosity than all the other children in the town._

 _Then, are the twin boys, so alike in their difference, celebrated their eight birthday, something horrible happened._

 _The food was gone. The animals of the town stopped birthing young, stopped giving milk, and stopped laying eggs. The town's people were fraught with distress, finding nothing but a small amount of animals and crops were going to be available and only the rich would get their full share of those._

Saguru carefully and quietly pushed the barn door open before waving his brother in and making his way to their only cow. "Kaito, come on. The bucket needs to be placed under her before we start milking."

Kaito rolled his eyes. He figured that out years ago. And who was Saguru to tell him to be come on when he wasn't even holding anything? He had to wonder when his brother even had time to look at a cow with his nose stuck in a book all the time. " _And if you're any louder someone will hear us. You heard the adults, we aren't allowed in here_."

Saguru sighed when Kaito walked by the bucket inside the door and went to get it himself but he did lower his voice. " _We are helping out this time, not bothering anyone. I overheard father say we all had to pull our own weight and since we are unable to go hunting yet, we can work here. If we do these chores, he and mother can focus on other things_." Saguru was sure he could do this after reading everything and watching the others do it. It wasn't even hard. He carefully slid the bucket into place and took a deep breath. " _Come on, just squeeze these and we'll have the milk for breakfast before they wake_."

Kaito smirked to himself. He'd been in the barn before hundreds of times and his brother hadn't bothered more than once or twice. He wasn't about to do the work. " _You do it. At least you know our milk comes from there. Look at those rubbery, strange things. Bet you can't do it. You like to act like you're the boss but you never get your hands dirty do you,_ little _brother_?"

" _At least I am not the shorter brother_." Saguru huffed before grabbing one in each hand and squeezing a few times, trying to get it to do something. He ignored Kaito's jibs, determined to prove him wrong. Maybe he needed to squeeze harder. It was embarrassing but he gripped one in both hands and tried again, pulling down at the same time to put more effort behind it.

Kaito saw the cow start to look upset, moving it's back legs around. " _Ah, I think you're doing it wrong_." He had never tried to milk the cow before either, but he'd seen it done more than enough times that he was sure she never looked this agitated before. He went by his brother, thinking about pulling him away so she wouldn't kick him. " _What the heck_ are _you doing_?"

" _It says to squeeze it downward and that is what I am trying to do. If you think it is wrong try one yourself and prove it_."

Kaito put his hands behind his back. " _Nope, you're doing just fine_."

Saguru smirked, certain Kaito had no idea, spending more time messing with things than learning. " _Alright, come on girl, give us something_." He tugged again before suppressing a huff and going for another one, gritting his teeth. " _You're as stubborn as my brother_."

" _Hey, I heard that. It's more like she's as dry and humorless as you. When was the last time you went out and had fun?"_

" _When do you ever stop messing around? We need to work more right now. We can have fun when there isn't a risk of us starving."_ Saguru didn't want to think about what could happen if they all goofed off like Kaito. Some of the records from ancient times told of terrible droughts or 'lean times' even where family members would be sold. He was sure Kaito never read any of that and as much as he groaned, his jokes and antics were sometimes a nice distraction. He was younger in age but he was well aware he was more mature and he took that to mean he needed to be the responsible one.

Kaito didn't like when Saguru seemed to take his anger at him out on the cow. She wasn't giving much milk to mom or dad to begin with, but even he had to wince at the way Saguru was trying to force it out of her as she stomped her feet. " _You sure you know what you're doing_?"

Saguru blinked and looked over his shoulder. " _Of course. I've read more than you ha-_ hey."

There was no milk in the bucket and, even if their had been, he didn't think he'd care. Saguru made the cow really upset and she stomped a little too close to Saguru, forcing him to pull his brother back, hearing the clang as she got the empty bucket. " _Well, brainiac, you're doing it_ wrong."

" _You should have stopped distracting me. I could have got it."_ Saguru turned back to the agitated cow and took a deep breath. How could it be so much harder than it looked? Maybe he was missing an earlier step, like how they had to clean up before they were allowed to eat. He did not want to admit that maybe they had to do something else first but he had no idea what. He tried to reach out to pet her when she bolted.

Kaito shrugged and went to push some of the hey towards teh cow. He used it to get on top of her, as he had in the past, petting her. " _It's okay girl. I know his hands are cold. They're_ always _cold."_

Saguru crossed his arms in annoyance, not willing to voice that Kaito had done a good job calming her and even getting on her that easily. " _They are not cold_ " He mumbled as he put his hands behind his back and rubbed them quickly, warming them up, just in case.

Kaito rolled his eyes, petting the cow again. He wondered if her rope was around here somewhere. He realized that Saguru hadn't tied her up and he had little to hold on to. Oh well, they wouldn't be here long at this rate. " _Let him keep thinking that_ ," he spoke only to the cow.

" _I will be more careful, just keep her calm_." Saguru reached down and picked the bucket up, wincing a little when the handle clanked as he set it down. He rubbed his palms together one more time, just to make sure they were not cold. He wondered if that was it and he had made her cold. Tentatively, he wrapped his hands around one and rubbed it instead, increasing the pressure a little at a time, until suddenly, the resistance gave way to milk going into the bucket. "HA! I told you I could do it."

"You pull down and repeat. I was sure it wasn't _that_ hard."

"And you could not do it yourself because... " Saguru trailed off, leaving it for Kaito to answer if he could as he continued to put more milk into the bucket."

"Because you already started. I wouldn't want you nagging over my shoulder like a grandmother."

Saguru huffed again but smiled as the milk built up, he had covered the entire bottom of the bucket now. He moved to another one and another, tuning Kaito out now. It was still harder than it looked and his hands were hurting but it was his idea and he was not going to quit.

Kaito was getting bored. Their cow was docile and he was light. Kicking off his shoes so he wouldn't hurt her, Kaito stood, walking back and forth on her back, eyeing the beams around him that were too high to jump to.

Saguru's hands were tense and sore but he had enough milk for breakfast, that was for sure. He actually grinned up at Kaito only to roll his eyes at his brother walking on the cow like the gypsies that came through their village a couple years earlier had done on their horses. " _Kaito, stop showing off and help me get this in the house before our parents wake up_."

"Sure thing." Kaito smirked, crouched on the cow to pet her once more, and then put both hands on her back as he flipped off of her, landing on his feet with his hands in the air. His grin widened further as he turned to his little brother. " _Bet you can't do that though_."

" _I would rather not risk breaking my neck."_ As sure as he was that Kaito would be alright, it still made his heart jump to his throat when he did that.

 _"If you got out of the house more you could do it too. Just talk to people and have fun. How about I show you how comfy hay is later? You can't get scared of a soft landing_."

 _"It would be much harder to get it out of my hair than yours. Not to mention your definition of soft landings can apply to a single piece of hay_." Saguru tried to turn before he smiled at the offer anyway. Perhaps when things got better and they had some time.

Saguru was too heavy to carry on his own, but he had a pretty good idea how to get him out of the house. Maybe he could use a weight and pully and get him up near the rafters.

Saguru tugged the now much heavier bucket and headed to the door, excited even though his hands were tingling, and continued toward the house. he glanced over at Kaito and pursed his lips, always feeling nervous when he went quiet like that.

Kaito was happy that mom and dad weren't going to be worried they didn't have milk today. It still wasn't enough for all four of them for long but it was better than getting nothing, and the well water tasted so bad. He wished they hadn't run out of money for sugar this month.

Saguru set the bucket down and rubbed his hands again. _"There, I told you it would work_."

"How many times do I have to tell you I never thought it wouldn't? We're going to be doing this anyway when we're older or, heck, there's no reason we can't _keep_ doing it."

Sharon opened the door, seeing the sun had barely risen and her kids were missing. That was no surprise. They were the strangest types and would vanish all the time. It was enough to give someone a headache. She spotted them approaching the house, a bucket between them. "Doing what? And what trouble are you getting into with the milking bucket?"

myself: Kaito stopped when mom started to get closer. She was really mean when it came to punishments, and they had just broken one of their rules. Sure they had milk, but he could see their parents keeping it to themselves for disobeying them. "I was just seeing what Saguru was up to."

Saguru looked over at Kaito, feeling a bit betrayed but he took a deep breath and straightened up. If Kaito wanted no credit, very well. "I milked the cow so you would not have too."

That _did_ surprise her. The kids were responsible for the household chores but she didn't think they were old enough to be doing more than feeding the animals. Saguru barely liked to go outside as it was. She went over to him, looking at the bucket and seeing that he'd actually gotten milk from that old cow. She smiled and put a hand on his head. "Good job but next time tell one of us. You never know what could have happened being alone in the barn. You could have lost the milk or gotten hurt."

Saguru winced a little, recalling Kaito pulling him away but shifted to embarrassed. "Yes, mother."

"It's alright. You got the job done. Hurry inside now. Both of you have dirty hands from being in the barn. I'll go collect the eggs and we can have some breakfast."

Saguru smiled widely and nodded, adding that to the list of things they could do. It would not be hard to grab eggs out of a nest. He hurried inside to the wash basin and dipped his hands in the cool water.

Kaito was just happy that had all turned out all right. He was half afraid that they would go without breakfast, since they were trying to save on food. He followed after Saguru, nudging him. "You're so lucky you didn't get in trouble."

Saguru nudged him back. "You are the lucky one. I could have told her you walked and jumped off the cow."

Kaito laughed, pushing him a bit more. "Like she would have believed you. I've never done anything like that in front of mom. She'd kill me."

"She may not have but, hearing it come from you, I am inclined to take his word." Toichi folded his arms, already dressed so he could leave as soon as they ate.

Kaito sighed. Why was dad always so quiet? He knew just when he was saying the wrong thing. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't."

Toichi caught Saguru's doubtful look and offered a small smile. "Kaito, you know that does not work on me. Just promise me you will be careful. Your skills are a unique gift, I have seen some of your exploits, but they need to be tempered with some caution and knowing a time and place."

Saguru's jaw dropped when Kaito's crazy antics were encouraged. They had always been happy with him studying and learning things properly. It made no sense.

Be careful, do this, do that, watch yourself. Kaito wasn't five anymore, he was eight. He knew full well what he could and couldn't do, and if he cut himself or bruised himself, he'd get over it. "Why do _I_ get a lecture and not him?" Kaito said accusingly, pointing to his brother.

Saguru smiled. "Because I do not pull crazy stunts like you do."

"And milking the cow on your own? I am sure you were already told off about doing that alone." Toichi nodded to himself when Saguru looked down, blushing. He smiled and rested his hand on each boys' heads. "Hone your own skills and learn from each other and there will be nothing you two won't be able to do."

Kaito didn't think there was anything he could learn from Saguru that he couldn't easily learn from a book. He smiled anyway, glad dad at least saw there was merit in exploring. Saguru would be the one who'd do all the learning.

Saguru nodded but doubted Kaito would ever sit still long enough to learn anything. It would be like trying to teach the cow, or a squirrel.

Toichi could tell by the looks in their eyes that they were not going to adapt yet but they would. He smiled and straightened, hearing Sharon in the kitchen. "Come on. Breakfast."

Kaito went over to the wash bin now that Saguru was done, simply wetting his hands and making sure he wasn't left behind.

Sharon smiled to herself as she looked over the food. They had no meat while they were short on livestock so she made due with bread from what wheat they had, butter, and eggs. She already had one plate done and worked on the others. "I see a certain few someone's are either hungry or really like my cooking."

"You always cook well, mother." Saguru smiled, even if he actually was hungry.

Toichi smiled as he sat and took a drink. "I will admit to it being both." He sobered a little, knowing he was doing a very poor job of providing for them but proud of how they were all making due.

Kaito nodded, as he didn't think he needed to say anything aloud, and went right for his egg when a plate was set in front of him. He didn't mind eating like this every day. Too bad the chickens like to be stingy.

Sharon shook her head when Kaito started eating before she had her own meal. That was just how the kids were and she'd grown used to it. They weren't a large family and they had a proportionally small amount of land, so there wasn't much conversation had over meals that the others in the family hadn't already heard about. She finished cooking up her own egg before joining them.

Saguru finished his food and gathered his plate to wash it off himself and wondered if he should ask about going to town and looking for some work himself. Some of the stores could use extra help and he was sure he could handle doing the books, his reading and writing were better than most. Maybe his brother could attract customers with his antics, if he did not scare them first.

Toichi set his now empty cup down with a small smile. "The boys certainly did a good job this morning, as did you. I wish I could stay but I need to get going." He stood and rested a hand on his wife's, repeating the words he gave them every day. "We will get through this."

Sharon nodded, kissing him on the cheek. They had a much smaller family compared to some and that would help, but she wished they had more provisions. "Have a good day."

Toichi nodded and smiled at his boys. "I will see you tonight, remember what I said." He patted each son on their shoulder on his way out, renewing his personal vow to provide for them.

Saguru looked over at Kaito after their father left and folded his arms. 'Why not.' "I am going to head to town, do you want to come?"

"Head to town alone? I mean, sure I've done it, but we don't have money to buy anything. What did you want to do there?"

"I thought we could offer to help, like the chores we do here. Depending on who we help, maybe we can earn something extra for dinner tonight." Saguru smiled slightly at Kaito. "Like maybe something sweet from the baker?"

Kaito doubted that the others in town had much more than they did. The winter hadn't been kind. The baker though couldn't sell his products if no one bought them, so odds were they could get something from him for doing work, even if it wasn't money. His hands fisted in front of him, Kaito nodded with a grin. "Sure, lets go." And then he was out the door before Saguru could take a step forward.

"Wait up! Bye mother. See you tonight." Saguru waved and ran out, chasing his brother. "Kaito, no fair!"

...

Saguru was beyond pleased that they had got some rewards. His pocket had a small bun and some seeds they could plant and he even had a half a loaf of bread for them all to share for dinner. It was a great start, even if he was so tired he could not wait to get to bed. "We should keep doing this."

Kaito had a muffin that he had sweet-talked out of the baker all to himself. Chocolate wasn't easy to come by and it had bits of it in there. He might be messy but it was worth it. He hadn't had a chocolate muffin in ages. He broke off a piece and handed it to his brother as he took another bite. "'ah. I don't know if he'll keep giving us this much, but its worth a try if we don't have school."

Saguru accepted the piece, taking small bites of it and savoring the taste. "We can go after school."

Kaito thought about it and nodded, wondering if he'd even need much dinner. He was going to be hungry but not enough to eat as much as he'd normally want. He rolled his eyes at his brother and took another bite and handed the rest to him. "Give me the bread. You did half the work, you get half."

Saguru pulled out his handkerchief, passing the loaf to Kaito and wrapping half of what he was passed and putting it in his other pocket. "That will keep for after supper." He smiled at hi brother, eating the muffin piece as their house came into view. "What do you think mother made tonight?"

Kaito shrugged. "Depends on dad, I guess. Unless one of the chickens got sick. I haven't been in there in a while." He licked his lips. Chicken would be great but they needed all their animals, so it all depended on who was selling and if dad made enough.

"Maybe he had as much luck as we did." Saguru smirked slightly, feeling excited from their own fortune. He picked up the pace a little pushed the door open. "Mother, we brought fresh bread for supper."

Sharon couldn't take that as good news as she put the towel down. She had no idea where they'd gone and had to keep herself busy. She crossed her arms, her eyes hard, as she walked up to the two boys. "Both of you, to the table, now."

Saguru knew right away something was wrong even thought he was confused. "Yes, ma'am," He said, heading right over with a sideways look at Kaito.

Kaito kept his head down. He was used to getting yelled at. It happened to him a lot more than it happened to Saguru. The best thing to do was bare your throat and sound really sorry. He followed after Saguru, sitting at the table and trying to make himself small.

Sharon stood between their seats, looking between them. "Do you remember milking the cow earlier this morning? You thought you were both such big boys and could do things on your own. Tell me now, what is the first thing you should do when you milk the cow? Saguru? Kaito?" She looked between them, waiting for one to answer.

Saguru almost said to make sure the bucket was in place but recalled what had happened that morning and went with a better answer. "Make sure the cow is calm and not upset her." He really hoped he sounded confident.

"No, Saguru, that's wrong. You tie her up. That way, if you do upset her, she doesn't bolt." Sharon took a length or rope that they used for all their animals and tied it around Saguru's hands before looping it around the back of the chair as well. She grabbed Kaito before he could run and did the same to him as well. "See how effective that is?"

Saguru fidgeted a little and tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He had a really bad feeling about where this was going. "Yes, mother." It was only just over a whisper but he wished he could have answered her properly. He couldn't even look at Kaito, feeling the guilt hit him. It had been his idea, he should have known this, whatever had happened was his fault.

"You also do this if you are, say, alone in the barn and are bringing in the milk, that way the cow doesn't get away and nothing gets at the milk. What do you think happens when you don't tie up the cow and leave the door open?"

Kaito didn't want to shake but he was scared. He had left first but Saguru had had the bucket, so of course he hadn't been able to close the door. He didn't know why he hadn't thought about that at the time. Did they lose their cow? Did she get it back? He didn't think it would matter to mom right now but he cared. " _Sorry_." He tried not to make the little whimper noise that came out of him. " _Did she get far?"_

Saguru held his breath for a moment, praying they found her wondering in the field or something, maybe going up the road, otherwise, he would feel worse than now.

"I don't know where she got to as I couldn't find her. Anyone passing could have easily taken her and are now claiming her as their own. Both of you, off the chairs and bend over. You had been told not to mess with the livestock and this is the reason why. Who knows what we're going to do now."

Kaito wanted to look for their cow but if someone had taken her and he was caught, that would be stealing. That would be worse than anything mom could throw at him. Slowly he got off the chair, used to this when he'd screw up, and bent over the chair. The rope was new and made him hold his hands at an odd angle, but disobeying here would be worse.

Saguru wanted to say they could identify her. He knew her marking anyway, he could describe her perfectly and no one could say that they were lying if he did it without seeing the cow. He stood anyway, knowing to just get it over with, and bending over, closing his eyes and unsure if the stinging in his eyes was from the news that he had lost their cow or the punishment that was coming. He was sure it was the first thing.

Saguru had been the one who likely instigated things. Kaito was never one for work or anything productive unless someone gave him the idea. She started with him, grabbing the cane off the wall and pulling Saguru's pants down. She'd very rarely punished him but this was a very good reason to. She hadn't struck even Kaito as many times as she now struck Saguru, the small boys apologies no good to her. She moved onto his brother and repeating the same punishment. They were both very much to blame for the missing cow and this would hurt the family a lot, as they would have to buy their milk elsewhere. Both boys crying, she untied them. "Bed without supper. I don't want to see you breaking any more rules again."

Saguru kept his head bowed, the tears flowing freely as he choked out a 'yes' before heading to their room. He had never been this sore before and he honestly felt so sick to his stomach over the loss that he doubted he could eat anything anyway.

Kaito hiccupped on his breath, wiping away his tears once his hands were free, but he couldn't stop crying. He followed Saguru, walking painful, and just wanted to get away from mom. " _I'm sorry_ ," he spoke to his brother, trying to keep his voice low but the tears making its range change as he stuttered. " _You had the milk, I... I should have closed the door. I'm sorry_."

Saguru shook his head as they reached their room, waiting for Kaito before closing it himself. It was something he would never, ever, forget to check on himself. " _I should have thought... after you calmed her, to tie her off. It never occurred to me. It was mine. The entire thing was me_." He dropped facedown on his bed, unable to look at his brother. He was torn between wanting to go out now and find the cow so he could fix this and afraid if he tried, he would mess things up even more. " _It was all my fault_ ," He choked out.

Kaito would have liked to blame Saguru. Most of his hate right now, like every time he was punished, was aimed at the person who had done it. Dad had gotten his cold shoulder before too. He didn't know how Saguru could move so much and, instead, leaned against the wall himself and just cried because he messed up and because he was hurting. He stopped himself, or tried to, his breath catching still. He wasn't used to Saguru crying. He was usually the one who got in trouble alone. He tried to make the hiccups stop too as he went over to him and put a hand on Saguru's shoulder, feeling it shake. "It-it's not. I'm your big brother, right? I've watched m-mom and dad milk the cow lots of times. You were- no, we were both just trying to help." He shook him a little, trying to get Saguru to look at him, even though he was still crying. His brother didn't get hurt often. "Does it hurt bad?"

Saguru bit his lip and nodded but turned slightly, blinking up at Kaito. " _How_... " He swallowed and tried again. "How do you not hate me for this?"

"Not the first time I've been in trouble." He might have still been crying but he smiled. "And besides, we were in it together. I forgot too. Do you think you could make me do anything? I'm happy you don't hate me. I am so-sorry." He had been trying to keep his voice steady. "And you are too. I heard you earlier." He leaned over, hating moving, and hugged him. "It will feel better in a few days, promise."

Saguru was just so relieved by Kaito saying that and he also wanted to make sure he knew Saguru had nothing to hate him for. He hugged him back, tensing and trying not to cry as he sat up on the sore area.

Kaito grabbed Saguru and backed up when he sat. He knew he shouldn't be doing that yet. He cried and let him cry before pulling away with a smile. "I learned a way to make it hurt less, but it's going to be a little uncomfortable." He let go of Saguru and took the pillow for his bed and moved it lower. "Funny with your butt in the air but it feels much better this way."

Saguru had seen Kaito laying that way before but before he could stop himself this time, he would blame it on everything that had just happened, he blurted out. "I always thought you were just being weird."

Kaito had to laugh. It sounded weird with the funny breathing but it did help calm his lungs down. He tried to keep it quiet, afraid mom would hear and think she hadn't done a good job punishing him. "I don't sleep like that _normally_." At least, he didn't think so. He tended to move in his sleep.

Saguru gave a small, watery laugh before eying the pillow and shrugging. "I could try... " He settled himself over the pillow, feeling embarrassed and awkward at the position but the burning from laying straight was marginally lessened. He stopped and reached into his pocket when he remembered something. He still had a quarter of the muffin Kaito had handed him and his bun. " _Here. You always get hungry more often than me. You can have half of this if you want_." He held out the bun, grateful it had stayed in his pocket during their punishment.

Kaito shook his head. "Better save it for tomorrow. I'm good for now." He was, temporarily. He had eaten his half of the muffin already and crying had warn him out, so he should be fine until morning. "Night." He went over to fix his own pillow up, yawning and not caring so much about the pain when he was tired.

Saguru carefully folded the handkerchief and tied it off. Breakfast would be bleak enough, at least they would have something later, if he could stomach anything.

Sharon waited, her husband coming home rather later. She let out a breath, unsure of what they were going to do about this new development. It was hard enough getting by with the two boys too young to be trusted with anything. "Hello. I hope your day was better than mine was."

Toichi wanted to drop into his chair, eat something, and head to bed but his wife's words made him straighten, noticing the lack of sound anywhere in the house. "Are the boys alright?"

"I sent them to bed. Unfortunately, they didn't take care of the cow properly. She's gone now, heaven knows where. I don't know what we're going to do." She leaned against the counter, before turning and getting his plate together. They had a few potatoes left though she'd had to deal with only vegetables to go with it. She placed it down in front of him. "Everything is so hard these days."

Toichi sighed. That was a blow. There would be little way to continue as they were. He had not wanted to do this so soon, until he asked around more, but it looked like he had no choice. "I heard some news today from a traveler that there is a village on the other side of the mountains south of here that lasted the winter well. They are rarely as harsh as here and work is plentiful. I planned on waiting a few days to confirm this but perhaps I should go and see for myself. If it is true, I can send for you in a weeks time."

Sharon would have no way to provide for them then. She would have to make due with what she could in the field and hope that what they had would last that long. It was better than withering away and dying. They would never make it through the summer. "We have little money to send you with, and you would have no place to stay or food to eat until you were paid. Are you sure you'll be alright?"

"I have always made due and I have not forgot how to hunt or trap." Toichi stood, having finished his meal, and went to steady her gaze on his. "What have I always told you?"

"We'll get through anything. I know, I know." Sharon had to smile. She went over and kissed him. "Just be careful. When were you planning on leaving?"

"This evening, I was thinking a few days from now but with this... I shall set out at first light. The sooner the better and there will be more here for the three of you than if I delay."

Sharon nodded. "I'll pack you something for the morning. Make sure the children understand that you're not leaving them. I'll see you in bed soon."

Toichi nodded and took a step back before turning and heading to the boys' room. He quietly opened the door and peered in, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness within before making his way in. Keeping his voice low, in case they were asleep, he rested a hand on Kaito's shoulder, noticing Saguru's new sleeping position and knowing Kaito used to be the only one to sleep that way. "Kaito? Son, are you still awake?"

Kaito moaned in the back of his throat, dad talking to enough to get him up. He was usually up all hours of the night anyway, and figured he'd be awake before dawn with how much sleep he'd be getting. _"Am now. I'm sorry about the cow, dad. Saguru is too."_

" _I know. I am sure it was an accident but it puts me in a difficult position. I will be honest with you; we can not last here. I am leaving in the morning to head south, over the mountains. I will send for the three of you as soon as I can. Until then, you will be the man of the house and you and your brother must do everything your mother says to help her. Can you do that for me_?"

Kaito got up, wincing and sitting on his knees to face his dad. " _You're leaving? But why? Can't we go with? I can be helpful, I promise_." Dad had never gone against her but mom was the one who punished him the most, and he'd rather be with his dad. He could figure out a way to make money too. " _Saguru and I were already working in town. We got half a loaf of bread. I'm sure we can make even more if we go with you_." He grabbed him around the neck, not wanting him to leave. " _I promise I'll be good_."

Toichi held his son and rubbed his back, a sad smile on his face but he felt pride as well. " _I know you would but it will be tough and I need to find work and a house first. I had no idea you went and found work but that makes me so proud of you both. Maybe if you were a few years older but right now, it would not be safe for you. Now, I need you to stay strong here and when I send word, you need to help pack up what you can to make the trip yourselves. Please, Kaito, stay and take care of your brother_."

Kaito didn't want to. He'd rather leave Saguru here to help with mom. He figured if one of them stayed behind it wouldn't be so hard on dad. He didn't think he could do that though. It would be weird not having Saguru around. Reluctantly, with a few tears in his eyes, Kaito slowly let go of his dad and nodded. " _Tell us right away when you get a house."_ He jabbed his hand out, his pinky extended. " _Promise_."

Toichi smiled and took the pinky with his own. " _I promise. And will you promise to watch out for your brother?"_

Kaito nodded. " _I will. And mom_."

Toichi smiled and nodded, rubbing Kaito's head with his free hand. "I knew I could count of you." He stood, releasing Kaito and walked over to kneel beside Saguru. The boy's face was also streaked with tears but unlike Kaito, Saguru was a heavier sleeper and it seemed he was just too exhausted to wake or do more than shift and sob softly. Toichi brushed the light hair to the side and wiped the boy's cheeks clear. " _I know it was an accident and I do not blame you. We all learn from our mistakes, I know you will from this_." He sighed and stood back up, turning to Kaito. " _Let him know that and I will see you all as soon as I can_."

Kaito didn't want his dad to leave already. He knew better than to try and sneak into his room with him though, if mom was still awake. He nodded, keeping an eye on his dad. He'd watch for when he left, say goodbye again. There was no way he was getting back to sleep.

Toichi smiled and nodded back, taking one more look at his boys from the door. Kaito, kneeling on the bed watching him, and Saguru, sound asleep with the guilt still weighing on him. He would do this, maybe the hand of fate played the cards this time and it would work out for the better.


	2. Alone

**Chapter 2: Alone**

 _So on that day, the father of the two boys decided that if their town did not have enough to feed it's people, he would find food and work elsewhere. Seeking a place he'd only head of, rich in harvest and cattle, he would send word to his family. Little did he know that, things don't always turn out the way you plan them._

Kaito cried a bit more when dad left, getting another hug from him. He went about cleaning the house, even though moving hurt, doing something to keep busy. He didn't see much of his dad anyway, what with him working all day, and he kept telling him this wouldn't be any different.

Saguru did his best to hide his face, watching the ground as he did his normal chores and hiding behind some books that morning. He wanted to go out and find their cow but he was sore and walking that far would do no one any good. He would go to town the next day and offer help again. That afternoon, he used a piece of rope and hid behind a tree, practicing tying knots so he would never lose an animal again.

Sharon had a lot of time to think that day. Both boys were reserved, something she doubt they would be if it had been her that left and not their father. She didn't know why her kids didn't feel as close to her but she found that she was returning the feelings. She waited until the end of the day, when both would be ready to eat, before making a tough decision that Toichi would not be happy with. She grabbed Kaito before he sat. She wouldn't admit it was hard for her, but Kaito ate more than his brother, he made trouble, didn't work, almost fit in with the fact that there was an evil twin born with a good one. Saguru was a good boy, took after her in more than just looks. She could get his help. Kaito would only cause trouble. She wouldn't let both boys suffer when only one need to. "Kaito, I need you to come with me. You need to do what I tell you."

"Where are we going? It's dark out." Kaito was pulled towards where mom keep the cane and he winced, pulling away from her. She took it down but made no attempt to use it, pulling him towards the door. "We shouldn't go out at night."

"We have to right now. I said do as I say." She pulled him harder, not wanting to fight with him the whole time, as it would tire her out. She opened the door, not as afraid of wild animals as no creature seemed to have taken to the winter well.

"But I don't want to go outside." He looked back at his brother, his one free hand reaching towards him. "What did I do?"

"Nothing as of yet unless you keep acting this way." She pulled him towards her yet again, lifting the cane this time as a warning. She looked back inside as her smarter, more productive son. The two of them at least should make it. "Saguru, stay here. Watch the house. We'll be back soon."

Saguru wanted to stand but he was not even able to answer. Kaito reaching for him scared him too. Their mother had never done something like this before, he knew that for sure. Kaito had done nothing but help all day. He could not think straight but when the door shut it made him jerk. "Kaito." He knew there was no way he could just stay here when something was wrong but going out on his own... Saguru ran to the door, wanting, needing to see what was going on.

Sharon knew that Toichi wouldn't be happy. She could pacify him and Saguru, say Kaito had gotten sick or something, but she wasn't sure how well her obedient son would listen. Kaito, clearly, wasn't listening well and she goaded him forward a few times with the cane, unsure how useful it was through his clothes. It got him to calm down and follow her though, only putting up a slight fight when they reached the edge of the forest near their town where some of the farmers would try and trap game. She'd have to make sure to leave Kaito far enough in that he wouldn't come back. Odds were she'd be walking all night, and even then the boy had an odd streak about him that might have him coming back. She got an idea for that, feeling badly for having it, but knowing there wasn't any other way.

"Mom, where are we going?" The forest was scary at night, even for him. There might be animals in there or monsters. He didn't really believe in the later, but he couldn't be sure. He'd heard tales of weird things that made their home in the woods. "I'm tired. I want to go to bed."

" _Shhh_." She wasn't going to fall for his begging. He was truely an unruly child, and there simply wasn't enough to feed them all. She had to watch the floor as much as where she was going, not wanting to trigger anything the hunter's had set. Most of it was small but she knew, further in, would be what she was looking for. She looked down at her son, feeling bad for him, but as badly as she would if both were starving in front of her.

Kaito didn't know what they had done or where they were going. At first he was tempted to believe they were going to meet dad. He hadn't told him where he was going though, and he doubted going through the forest at night was safe. Time dragged on, his eyes half closing as his mom lead him to who knows where. He was hungry and tired and walking was still painful to an extent. Half sleeping, half following her as the moon hid above the trees, Kaito was jolted awake by pain. "Ow!" He tried to step back, something heavy not letting him move much.

" _Oh, Kaito! Settle down!_ " Sharon whispered to her son, bending down. " _Stop moving_!"

Kaito whimpered a little, trying to stay still and upright while he was pulled one way and had his weight on his other leg. He let out a relieved breath when his mom undid the trap that he'd stepped on. Tears in his eyes, he welcomed it when mom picked him up. " _Mom, that really hurts_."

Saguru froze when he heard a cry of pain, recognizing it as Kaito. He had thought mother was taking him to the barn or something and maybe refuse to give him supper again. He still had the bun and had grabbed it to slip to him as soon as he could but they had kept walking. He'd lost sight of them in the woods and had to go quietly so he could follow the sounds. He was actually terrified now because the voice was Kaito's. He was heading the right way at least but if something or someone had hurt his brother, he knew from his books to approach quietly and not yell. It was so hard though, he knew he was crying but he pushed on.

"I know. It will be okay." Kaito was light enough she didn't mind carrying him right now. It wouldn't be for much longer. She ran her hand through his hair a few times, letting his cries die out into sleep. That would be perfect. She let him sleep as she kept on going, laying him down on the grass as the sunlight started to enter the forest. He turned over a little on his side but didn't wake. Hopefully the starving animals that had survived would get him quick enough. If not, maybe she'd tie him up if he returned. She inclined her head to him a moment, not wanting to cry. _This is for the best_ , she thought as she headed back towards the house.

Saguru yawned again, never good with staying up at night. He heard something coming toward him and hid in a bush, shaking. He wanted his brother, badly, but he was worried too. He wiped his eyes and his breath caught when he saw mother coming through the woods... alone. Had Kaito been hurt and it was too bad? Why would she be alone? It made no sense. What about Kaito? He needed to see. Was he sick or something? And she wanted him to not know? Taking him away like that could only mean where his thought had gone to, as far as he was concerned.

He needed to see him, no matter what. If mother saw, after all this, he knew she'd take him away. He shivered, fighting the tears at that thought as she walked faster past his hiding place. He let out his breath and, trying to be brave and no longer that tired, he came out and continued toward where Kaito had to be. He saw him not to far away as the sun slipped though the branches and the smell he had caught a couple times was explained. Kaito's ankle had blood on it and he was so still. Saguru started crying now as he walked slowly over and dropped to his knees beside Kaito.

This wasn't fair. It wasn't. Saguru had no idea how to tell if he was alive but if mother left him here... Saguru shook his head, not wanting to think that. He knew to wrap up bloody injuries and used his new rope skill to tie his handkerchief to the ankle. His hands shook and he gave a small smile when Kaito shifted toward him. At least he really was still alive, maybe it would help. Saguru felt so tired suddenly, walking the entire way and his feet were killing him. He laid down next to Kaito, letting him hug him and cried himself to sleep.

Kaito was used to waking up hurting now and then. He'd fall off the bed a few times a week and he thought that was what he'd done again until he opened his eyes and memories came back. He noticed he was holding his brother, wherever he had come from, and that they were in a forest. It had to be near noontime with how bright it was, but it was hard to tell with the trees. He shook Saguru's shoulder, not knowing why they were here or what had happened. "Hey, wake up."

Saguru sniffed and blinked his eyes. He was mid-yawn when he realized Kaito was alive, awake and looking at him. He teared up and grabbed him, hugging him tight and trying to form words but all he could do was mumble.

Kaito was trapped by Saguru, making him have to lean closer to hear what his brother was saying. Apparently Saguru didn't know any more than he did. Confused and hungry, Kaito patted Saguru's back. "I'm fine, I think." He hadn't had a check up in a while, but that was because he wasn't sick. The new wound from him being half asleep that he'd walked into last night did get his attention and he saw his blood staining a cloth. He winced, feeling the pain from it more so that he was focusing on it, and winced. Those things really hurt. "Calm down."

Saguru took a few breaths and wiped his eyes before pulling away, looking at him and then his ankle. "Sorry. It was the best I could do. I think... _I think mother thought you would die. I did_."

Kaito had heard that some people did. He could very easily get sick because the metal was either coated with something or whatever it was that rusty metal did got to him. That was kind of depressing, but it wasn't like he knew he was sick or anything. He turned back to Saguru, his eyes wide. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Saguru shook his head in exasperation but took a bite out of his anyway. He looked around, feeling nervous. They were really deep in, he was sure, but he had been to focused on following his mother and brother to pay attention to what direction they went in. He knew he should have but... " _I'm sorry_."

Kaito tipped his head to the side, confused, and stood up. It hurt to put weight on his foot but the longer that sat there being hungry, the longer until they got back home. "Okay... I don't know why. Come on, let's go home."

"But, we walked all night and I have no idea what way to go. I didn't think it would be this far when we started." Saguru stood anyway and eyed Kaito. "Do you need help?"

"You're my _little_ brother. No way you're big enough to help me. Anyway, wherever I was bleeding is probably a bad place to be. I heard animals can smell blood. Which way did you come from? Do you remember that at least?"

Saguru nodded and pointed. He knew because it was the angle he had seen Kaito from. "That way. I followed mother's direction backwards when she passed me without you."

Kaito nodded and started off that way on a limp. "Come on then. Better go back there now when most of the animals are asleep."

Saguru hurried to where Kaito was before staying at his pace, still slowly eating his piece of bun. He wished that he had thought o bring more but it was just going to be for Kaito to hold him over through the night, not for them both to share through the day. "Do you think mother knows I left yet?"

"I don't know. I don't know where she was going. I didn't mean to get hurt last night." He probably screwed up whatever mom was planning.

"I heard you yell. I almost thought I lost you at that time."

"I'm sure mom wouldn't let anything happen to me. I was just tired and wasn't looking where I was going." Kaito tried to ignore the pain. It was hard though. That trap had teeth and he was starting to feel bad for the animals it was used on if not for the fact that he'd like to catch one and eat one right now.

Saguru swallowed the last bite of his bun and looked around again as they walked. He saw the bush he was sure he had hid in when mother went by and wondered something. "Do you think we could follow her tracks back? Like hunters follow animals? It should be easy enough, with shoes instead of different paw prints."

Kaito looked at the grass. There was no way it would be that easy unless it had rained the other day. They could really use some rain. "It might be hard. How do you find tracks in grass?"

"I think some say that broken or 'scuffed' grass show when something went by. It is worth a try. We already know she came this way so there has to be something here." Saguru hoped it worked because he was less sure about this kind of thing than others.

Kaito went to where Saguru had said she had come by, bending down and wincing for two reasons now. He didn't notice anything but the pain was distracting and he had to stand back up and get the weight off of his injured leg. "Ah, maybe you should look."

Saguru took a deep breath and crouched, trying to remember everything about tracking and looking for anything along the way. He thought he noticed some flattened patches and knowing Kaito needed help, went for it. "This way. Not all the grass is moving." He could do this, if he could not help Kaito walk, he would lead the way. He only realized now that he felt braver when Kaito was there. He could do this.

Kaito brushed Saguru off when he was trying to help him. His little brother was smaller and it would only make him hungrier the more energy he had to expend. Besides, he had to keep going to the ground to check the grass. Kaito was fine on his own and cheered him on, though as they kept walked it was getting harder and harder to put one foot in front of the other.

Saguru was not sure after a bit, biting his lip. Nothing nearby looked flat at all. He looked at Kaito and forced a smile. "You should sit for a bit while I check ahead for our path, her path, the path."

Kaito looked around. He was awake likely if they'd gotten far enough. He didn't recognize anything in the light though and realized he probably wouldn't. He was tired and it had been dark. "Maybe we should..." Kaito only needed that pause to take off his lightweight vest. He hadn't been able to change into his nightclothes and he always kept on a vest for the extra pockets in case he found something interesting. He put it in the grass where the trees weren't hiding it, the neck facing the way they had been going. "We should look for something to eat."

"I can do that. You know those bird sounds you can do, make those if you lose sight of me." Saguru held up a hand, knowing Kaito would usually argue. "I read enough books on identifying food, I can find something and you bring me back to you."

Kaito rolled his eyes. "The vest is for that. We should _both_ look for food. I know you're as hungry as I am. If you can't find the vest, or if I can't, we can just yell. If someone hears us, great."

"People maybe but what if an animal finds us instead? Are you sure?"

Kaito nodded. "Most of the animals that would be after us only come out at night. You've seen me play in the forest before. Watch out for some of them, but they shouldn't go after you as long as you don't provoke them. And don't go near holes."

Saguru nodded. " Be careful with your foot too." He wished Kaito would stay off it, he always winced when he moved and had been walking slower too. He wished he knew more about treating injuries but that was usually their parents that did that.

Kaito nodded and went off to the left. He knew if he walked in a straight line from here that he'd be able to get back. It was going in a curve or a circle that could get him confused. "Just don't get lost."

Saguru wandered the other way, watching the ground as much as the trees and bushes now, looking for trampled grass or anything to eat. He headed back after awhile, knowing there was no food that way and when he saw the vest he started circling it in a wide arc, trying to find the trail again before Kaito got back and he had to admit he had lost the way.

Kaito didn't find anything. The leaves in the trees were bare of any fruit or berries and he didn't think he could get to them even if there were any. He ended up back at the start after traveling a way and giving up. He wasn't as hungry as he was hurt and he sat down by the tree, resting a bit.

Saguru had managed to fail even more at this than the cow milking. His only plus was an abandoned water pouch that had some water in it. he stopped himself from thinking about the 'why it was there' and went running toward the vest, spotting Kaito already there. "Here." He knelt and held it out, knowing sick and injured people needed it more.

Kaito's eyes widened. He had no idea where Saguru had gotten water. He held the pouch, seeing there wasn't much in it. "Where'd you get this?"

"Not far that way. There was nothing around, I looked, but we have something and if we find a stream, we can refill it." Saguru smiled brightly.

Kaito knew there was a river by the mountain but he wasn't sure if he was anywhere near that. The forest might have a small pond or something, which wouldn't be ideal but it was better than nothing. He nodded and took a sip, fighting hard to leave some. "Here." He handed it back, wishing they'd had dinner or something before all this had happened.

Saguru took a sip as well, loving the cooling feeling and longing for more but knowing it would not help. Looking down at the pouch he saw Kaito's ankle again. "You worked that loose. I could try to rewrap it, cut down on the blood more." He was sure it would hurt Kaito but it was better than nothing.

Kaito shook his head. "Leave it. I don't think I want to get up again." It hurt a lot and walking was too painful. Maybe if Saguru could find someone, or go find mom, that would work. He didn't think his little brother knew a lot about the woods though.

"OH, you should elevate it a bit I think. I'm not sure why but I remember when father's foot was hurt, the doctor came by and said to keep it up. It seemed to help him."

"And do what? Be stuck here all day? No way. We're trying to get out of here, not stay lost. You ready to go? I don't think there's any food around here. I'll look and you track."

"If that hurts too much you had better rest." Saguru knew there was no way he could carry him and it was better if he rested it for a little while but Kaito was too stubborn. He held the pouch out to Kaito. If he needed the last sip, it was his. Saguru turned and started toward where the pouch had been. Maybe together again, he could check further and find something about the person that dropped it.

Kaito rolled his eyes, getting to his knees and picking up his vest. He tied the pouch around where his shoulder connected to the inside so that he didn't have to hold it and started after Saguru on all fours. The rocks and twigs and stuff kind of hurt, but he'd done worse to himself and his leg didn't hurt so bad this way. "I'm holding this but I already drank half! The rest was yours! And don't you dare leave me behind!"

Saguru looked over his shoulder and frowned before rolling his eyes at Kaito crawling. He finally broke down and accepted the last of the water, swearing to himself Kaito would get first drink when they found water. The sun was almost gone and he finally shook his head. He sighed and sat down between a tree and some bushes to wait for Kaito. "Too dark to find any trace. I guess we wait until morning." He looked over at his brother and then at the ankle. "You can rest it on me."

Kaito laughed. "It's going to get cold." He waited until close enough before grabbing onto his shirt and snuggling close to him before they were even laying down. "I'd rather be warm tonight. We'll get home tomorrow."

Saguru nodded but slid one of his legs under Kaito's leg, hoping the little bit help. He was still scared but Kaito was like a big pillow and blanket in one. Warm and comforting.

Kaito winced, a few tears in his eyes. That really hurt. He was tired and really, really hungry though, and the darkness around them was a bit scary.

Akako had been wondering what strange thing was in the forest. She stopped near two young boys who looked like they were going to sleep right there on the ground. "What do you two think you're doing?"

Saguru sat up quickly at the voice, gripping Kaito's shirt and staring up at... the only thing was a witch. He knew the stories and Kaito couldn't run. He was terrified, she was pretty, in the way people said their mother was, but he was starting to think it meant they were bad. He could not even manage a scream, frozen there beside his brother.

Kaito was stuck, Saguru holding him too tight for him to move. He tired to back away on the ground but Saguru's leg under his reminded him moving would be stupid. Forced to stand his ground, his arm went over Saguru and he made sure she wasn't going to touch his brother. He'd heard only bad stories about witches, and this was clearly a witch. "Go away!" he shouted.

Akako had to straight up and laugh, hearing it echo around her even as she stopped. She smiled down at the two children, to young for her but almost old enough to be of use to her. "And if I did that, you'd die. You two look tired and hungry. Would you like to come to my house? I have some cake I just baked an hour or so ago."

Kaito blinked a few times, looking at the witch lady. She was offering them cake? Did she live near a town? He didn't think so. He would have heard of a town with a witch in it.

Saguru shied away a little but she sounded like she truly wanted to help them. Was that true? Maybe... "Are you... a nice witch?" Was there such a thing? Maybe nice ones hid so they were not made fun off or attacked.

"I'm nice enough and I really want to help you. Do you want to come with me or not? I can leave you both here but do you even know where you are?"

Saguru felt like an idiot already but that stung. "Can you prove it? Can you help my brother?"

"Prove I'm a witch? Wouldn't it be better for you if I wasn't?" Akako looked at the other boy, checking him over more. She barely saw that his leg was injured and not treated very well. She only needed one male, but she didn't think she'd get one without the other in this case. "I don't do healing magic."

"I meant prove you were nice. Any nice adult can help him, I have seen it and read about it, I just... " Saguru clenched his hands into fists.

Both boys looked filthy and she didn't want to pick up the bloody one. She sighed put her hands out. "Stand back then."

Saguru shifted, keeping a hand on Kaito's and watching closely. "Do- don't hurt him or... or else." It was lame and he could never hit a woman but maybe she would think he would.

"I'm aiming for the tree. Move more."

Saguru was really confused now. He thought she would check the injury and maybe wrap it better. He moved away from the tree to Kaito's other side. " _What do you think?_ "

Kaito shrugged. " _I'm hungry. At least we can get food. Why rescue us to poison us or something_?"

Akako spoke a few words, the tree glowing slightly red as she worked her magic on it. A branch fell, startling the two boys. "There. It will only take you a foot or so off the ground, I don't have a broom to work with, but it will keep you off your foot until I can get you something from my house."

Kaito startled, staring at the branch. He looked back at Saguru. " _So... what should we do?"_

Saguru had no idea but Kaito had a point. Why would she help them just to hurt them. " _Have her help you and if she is nice, she can get us home, if not, maybe you can run better with whatever she does_."

Kaito nodded, standing up and doing all he could to keep his weight off his leg. He looked at the stick and then the witch, afraid it would spell him somehow. "What's the stick for?"

"Ride it, like a horse. It won't get you high or far but it's better then walking." Akako turned, her dark red cape catching the wind behind her. The boys wouldn't be able to get out of here on their own with the slight enchantment on the branch.

Kaito was unsure of how to go about this but he was hungry and thirsty and the older brother. He wouldn't let Saguru go hungry if there was a way to get food. He promised dad he'd take care of his brother, and he would. Stepping around the stick and trying to 'ride it like a horse', Kaito felt like an idiot. A second later he was grasping it tight and a foot further in the air than he had been before. His first thought was it was painful between the legs. His second thought he voice. "Wow."

Saguru had been beside Kaito when he suddenly went up. He was shocked enough to fall backwards on his butt, wincing from the pain from, had it only been two nights ago they'd been punished for the cow getting away? He stood carefully and reached out to touch the wood circling the entire thing. "This is... impossible."

"She's a real witch." Kaito was smiling a lot. It wasn't pleasant to be riding but it was really cool. Magic was cool. "If she is a good witch this will be awesome. Come on." Kaito lowered one of his hands. "Get on, before we lose her."

Saguru took his hand, feeling better about this since it was helping Kaito, or, at least, not having him hurt as much. He climbed on and made a face. _"This is really uncomfortable_."

" _Yeah, I noticed that. Lean forward a bit_." It was weird but Kaito didn't seem to have to steer this thing. It wouldn't really hurt if Saguru sat on his hands so long he didn't twist around.

Saguru shifted forward, blushing a little at the sudden cushion he had. " _Kaito... ummm, thank you_." He tightened his hands on the branch and looked toward where the witch woman had gone, wondering how to get it to follow her.

"Um, hiya? I don't know." Kaito tried to look around Saguru. "I don't read a lot of books. How do you get magic to work?"

Saguru had no idea but he had read about horses and they went by touch and voice commands. He had no idea how to shake a broom like reigns but he jerked the broom and tried to get it to move. "Go."

Kaito held on tighter as they were jerked forward, hoping Saguru had a better idea what he was doing then he did. He found he didn't really care though. He was in the air and this was fun. It was enough to make all the scary things not seem so important. " _Weeee_..." he said quietly behind Saguru.

Saguru held the branch tightly but raised his head. "No." He might be but Kaito needed help, more than he could give, and it was something at least.

Kaito wasn't going to say he wasn't afraid of witches but this one didn't scare him very much so he shook his head, not answering aloud since it would kind of be a lie and kind of not.

Akako laughed lightly behind one of her hands, leading them forward and towards her home. Because they were with her, they were able to find it. Only someone that she had already invited to her house could get to it. It was part of her spell to keep out those murderous naysayers. She swept her hand towards it not much later, showing off her abode. It was more of a joke house, really, but to two kids she figured it had to be one of the coolest things in the world.

Saguru's mouth dropped and he attempted to close it but the sight of a house made of sweets, some he had never seen for himself, made it hard. His stomach noticed it too and growled loudly. "That is amazing."

Kaito had to peek around his brother to see what he was seeing and quickly tried to get off and have a closer look. He had to nudge Saguru a bit to get him to get off first. "Come on, you're blocking my view."

Saguru quickly got down, not gracefully or easily but when he did, Kaito's reaction was worth it. He wanted to ask if it was actual sweets or just painted somehow to look like it was.

"Wow!" Kaito's eyes were wide. He didn't get sweets much, mostly because they weren't something they typically had money to spend on, but he had gotten some for his birthday and a few other holidays. He didn't care about his leg as he got off the stick, tripping a bit on the ground like Saguru had before half running, half limping over to the witch lady. "That is so cool! Why is your house made of candy!? Do you have candy?! I'm really hungry!"

"I have more than candy but if you want, feel free to eat what is obviously edible. The house is protected by magic, so it doesn't get dirty, and what ever you take gets replaced a short time later."

Kaito grinned, his hands fists as he bounced up and down with his one leg. "Can we eat it? Can we?" When it came to strange, new things, he always asked Saguru first.

Saguru knew the should have more than sweets but it was still food and he saw a few things he had only had once and Kaito bouncing, close to hurting his ankle more if he missed his footing, was enough to break his reservation. "Yes, lets."

"Yay!" Kaito ran towards the house, more wanting of food than afraid that something was going to zap him or something. He touched the siding on the house that had looked like paneling, making sure it really was food and not some trick. It was easy to snap off a piece and he tried it before Saguru could, finding something wheat-like and crunchy covered in white chocolate. It tasted awesome. "'on't 'ink it's 'ad."

Saguru pulled on a red and white striped pole, licking it and finding the mint taste really good. He shifted it to start sucking on it from one end while he looked around at the rest. "Mmmm. Thank you." He reached over and tugged off something that was small, red and spongy, popping it in his mouth and tasting a sweet... some kind of fruit maybe. He could not stop eating once he started, passing Kaito a few things he found tasty for him to try too.

Akako smiled at the two children. Truly this place was made for the young. It was also made to fool and confuse the old. What evil witch out there, after all, would live in a candy house? She let the two starving children eat, going inside and ordering a goblin, who had entered into her service when she was born, to make up some tea. After all those sweets the boys would be thirsty and she found herself a bit parched as well. She sat on a couch that felt like velvet and tasted like cherry for the two to finish and dare to come inside.

Kaito didn't have to stay standing to eat. Saguru was handing him bits of the house that were higher up anyway, and he found he could break the window easily by hitting it and was licking on the pane of frosted sugar between shoving other pieces of candy and dessert into his mouth. It didn't take all that long to get full, what with the speed they were eating. He smiled to Saguru. "For a minute there, back in the forest, I thought we might starve."

Saguru had not wanted to admit it and was glad it was not him that did so. "I will admit, this is better than mushrooms." He swallowed again and really wished there was water. He looked around and realized the only drinks would be inside and Kaito was still injured. "Are you thirsty too?"

Kaito nodded and tipped his head, but he couldn't really see into the house where the witch had gone. "Should we go inside? I know we followed her, but she's a stranger. We have food now, kind of."

"I know but your ankle is still hurt and we need water too. Once your ankle is a little better, we can leave. Father would help someone too, remember that lost boy last year? He trusted father before coming to the house." Saguru smiled and squeezed Kaito's hand. " _If anything happens, or she acts funny, we leave right away."_

Kaito nodded and stood up, accepting Saguru's help this time and going in the door with him. "Wow, it's candy on the inside too."

"If the house is all sweets, do you think something else comes from the pump instead of water?"

Kaito grinned. "Like what, chocolate milk?"

"Is anything not chocolate with you?" Saguru shook his head but did not hide the smile like he usually would.

Akako heard the children come in and sat back on the couch, one hand draped over the back. "Come, I have tea. I'm sure your thirsty. How long were you alone in the woods?"

Kaito was reminded again he couldn't run but he let go of Saguru and went over where the tea was. There were two comfy looking chairs so he didn't have to sit by the witch. He wondered if she had company a lot, what with the extra furniture. He took his cup and sat down. "Thanks. And umm, I don't know."

Saguru rolled his eyes. "Our mo- Umm, since yesterday evening, ma'am."

Akako nodded. "Not even a day yet and you already looked so hungry. If I left you there I don't think you would have gotten far. How about you stay with me until you're both able to travel? I don't mind the company and the house obviously doesn't need looking after. What do you say?"

Kaito looked at Saguru and shrugged. He could get his leg treated but he didn't really want to be walking on it come tomorrow. If she did something bad they could always just bolt like his brother had said.

Saguru nodded at Saguru and looked back at the woman. "That sounds alright." They needed to get back before father sent for them but that was still not for a week so Kaito could heal in that time.

"Good. I have two rules while you're here. Don't follow them and you won't like the consequences. The first, you may eat and drink whatever you like here. You are never allowed into my room though. It's in the basement, so that shouldn't be hard to remember. Second." Akako stood up and went over to both of them, snapping her fingers as a bracelet appear on both their wrists. "You may not leave unless I say you can, and even then I have to give you boundaries. I can't have others coming after me because they found out there was a witch in the woods."

Kaito thought the magic was still pretty cool but it was pretty scary as well. It was something he couldn't fight. He looked over the harmless-looking red band around his wrist, no clasp on it. He doubted he could cut it off if it were magical either but he tugged at it to test it out anyway.

Saguru looked at it and then up at her. "I would not go anywhere without my brother anyway." He shifted a little and let out a breath. "Besides, you are helping us, so why would we hurt you?"

"You're children and I'm a witch. Why would I believe you wouldn't? I'll be back. Your brother does need medicine for that wound and you've never given me your names."

Saguru blushed. "I guess because we never got your name... mine is Saguru."

"Kaito," Kaito spoke up. "And thanks, for helping us and giving us food and all."

"You're both welcome. Here I thought people didn't believe witches even had names. I'm glad to know there is some sense still about in your minds. My name is Akako. Make yourself at home."

"Thank you, Miss Akako." Saguru took another sip of tea and looked at Kaito. He had no idea what else to say but wondered how long it would take before the townsfolk realized they were gone.

"I bet mom's worried about us," Kaito said quietly. "She didn't even know you followed her, right? I hope she doesn't go looking for us and get lost."

Saguru clenched his hands tighter around the cup, feeling sick to his stomach at the fact that he did not care if she was. She had left Kaito, hurt and alone a full nights travel into the woods. He was going to tell father, that was for sure and maybe hope she had a really good reason, but since a witch was helping them and their mother had not helped Kaito, he did not think it mattered. " _Maybe_."

Kaito smiled when Saguru seemed worried too. "Forget what I said. Mom's smart. She wouldn't go looking for us in the forest alone. I'm sure she'll be really happy when we get back."

Saguru did not want to say more and just smiled back, nodding before taking another sip of his tea. Kaito would get better, then they would go home and figure out what mother was up too.


	3. Together

**Chapter 3: Together**

Kaito found out the witch meant they really couldn't go outside without getting her permission. She had given them a bedroom with only one bed, but it was large and he didn't mind sharing. There was some weird green cream on his ankle and it was bandaged well enough that he'd gotten curious after Saguru had fell asleep and Kaito had tried peeking around outside the house. He physically couldn't get past the door and was left with no choice but to crawl back into bed and see if she couldn't make some exceptions too her rules. Magic was cool but it kind of sucked.

Saguru woke early and peeked at his brother before slipping out of the bed and heading to the door. He thought maybe he could help with breakfast without messing up so that he could prove that they could be trusted while there.

Kaito rolled around the bed when he noticed Saguru was missing after he woke for real. He stayed where he was, not wanting to walk around again, and let himself rest some more. it wasn't home but it was nice and he wasn't really scared anymore. Maybe it was the light that was coming in one of the sugar windows that made those fears go away.

Saguru had not expected the food to be inside but had set about doing what he could to make breakfast. He wondered if he would be allowed to give Kaito his in the bedroom, since the entire house was food anyway. He chuckled quietly at the thought of eating the floor when trying to eat off the floor.

"Oh? Who's this wandering around so early in the morning?" Akako normally worked only at night and thus, was a late riser, but the new movment in the house has gotten her up.

Saguru spun, startled at the voice, and almost dropped the hunk of bread he was cutting. "Miss Akako. Sorry. I hope it is alright, I thought I could make breakfast."

"A young boy making breakfast? I haven't heard of such a thing. You have free use of the house though. Most common food products I get at night and you'll find them around the kitchen, as I'm sure you've noticed. Anything that will spoil is spelled so that it won't, so with some of the meat I have you don't need to worry about it or anything else being old." She smirked, rumming two of her fingers together to start a flame above them that quickly went out. "Magic is rather useful."

Saguru's eyes widened at her making and holding a flame in her hand and wondered if all witches could do that. Saguru looked at the fruit and bread he had been laying out and than back at her. "I never cooked anything, mother always did that part." He had thought about using the embers from the fireplace to cook too but at the time he had not been sure the stove would hold the fire if he did it instead of her.

"Maybe you should let me do it then." Akako could cook just fine. Most of her help wasn't tall enough to reach the stove or knew what she would or wouldn't eat. She put a hand on top of his head and bent down to his level. "What would you like?"

"We usually have eggs for breakfast, besides bread and fruit." Saguru had not really thought about anything else, that was their normal morning meal. "What do you usually have?"

"Fruit and some honey and pastries. I know how to make eggs though. How about you help me out? You have the bread already, and i I can brown it in the pan after cooking the eggs. There should be a basket of eggs in one of the cabinets. Go fetch them for me and I'll get the pan."

"Yes, Ma'am." Saguru knew exactly where it was, having seen them when he was browsing earlier. He opened the door and grabbed the basket, balancing it carefully as he took them over to the stove. "Here you are, Miss. Akako."

"Thank you." She reached down and set the basket on the part of the counter nearest the stove before taking one out, making sure the fire was at the temperature. Cooking was easy for her, always had been, because the flames did all the work. "How do you like your eggs?"

Saguru tilted his head and blinked. "There is more than one way? mother only did it normal, or, I guess fried with runny yolk. If there are others ways, I would like to know, please?"

"There are dozens of ways. Here. I do have a fridge. There should be a carton of glasses filled with milk. Can you go get me one?" She cracked a few eggs into the pan while he got he milk, seeing as he didn't have to see her do that to understand.

Saguru returned and held it out to her, unable to resist commenting that their cow never gave them enough milk to save.

Akako took the milk and added it to the eggs, standing back before bending down and touching the floor. She waited a few seconds as it bent to her will, creating a little three step ladder so Saguru would be able to reach the stove. "While I take care of the rest, I'll tell you exactly how to make these and help if you need to. Want to give it a try?"

Saguru bit his lip. He loved learning and maybe it would be better if he knew how to make something, instead of leaving it to mother, if she even cared anymore. He took a deep breath and nodded, going up the steps and still finding it strange it held his weight. "Alright, I am ready, Ma'am."

Akako handed him a wisk. "Here, stir them gently for a while. They'll get thicker. I need to add something." She went over to the fridge and got out a tomato and a bit of meat that she'd fry up first, without the strove. "You don't have anything against tomatoes or meat, right?"

"No, Miss. Akako," Saguru replied as he stirred the eggs, watching them become less liquid and more like... he was not sure. Maybe cotton-like? "Oh, but Kaito does not eat fish."

"That's okay. I don't use fish in my eggs." Akako laughed a little, not trying to make fun of him. She held the dried pieces of meat in her hand, heating them instantly as she went back over to Saguru, dropping bits in the eggs as he continued to mix. She only needed to tap the tomato to have it diced up, adding that as well. "I think I have a better idea than bread. You finish that up. The fire will go out when it's done. You can stop stirring before that, in another minute or so, when all the liquid is gone."

"Yes, Ma'am." Saguru tilted his head and smelled that food, finding his mouth watering more now than when mother cooked. " _If Kaito smells this, he will try to come out here sooner rather than later."_

Akako could barely hear what he said and left it at that. She went into one of the higher cabinets, getting out the pastries she had made earlier that week. They'd do with breakfast and, even if they were a bit sweet, the apple in them balanced them out well. While she was at it she took out three plates, placing one on each and hovering her hand over them a few seconds to make sure they were warm and chewy. "Maybe your brother should eat out here. If he's having trouble walking still, I can help with that." She snapped her fingers, one of the chairs shifting back from the table as the cushion came separated and floated a foot behind Saguru. "You can leave the eggs now. I'll get them."

Saguru stepped back and down off the ladder, eying the floating cushion. "Will that carry him like the branch did?" It was still a little scary but he could not resist the desire to know answers.

Akako went over, since her hands were free, and grabbed Saguru up before putting him on the cushion. "Go get the other one," she instructed the furnishing. It listened better.

Saguru gripped the cushion as it took off on its own. The door opened and he saw Kaito still in bed. "Kaito, breakfast is almost ready."

Kaito gripped the pillow, tipping his head towards his brother while his eyes slowly opened wider and wider. "What were you eating? Fairy dust?"

Saguru smiled slightly and held out his hand. "Nothing yet, but I was helping to cook eggs a new way. Come on."

Kaito was all up for trying it if Saguru thought it was safe. He smiled and took his hand, trying not to knock his brother off. "This is so cool. I bet mom and dad would freak out if they saw this."

"If I saw it without knowing, I would think you were pulling some trick on me."

Once Kaito was seat the magic.. cushion started moving forward and he yelped and held tighter onto Saguru as it brought them both into the kitchen and onto a chair. " _I_ wish _I could do that, as long as the villagers didn't kill me_."

" _Like anyone would mistake you for a witch_." Saguru looked at the table, the smells now that he was back in the room were really good and he looked forward to eating a real meal. "Thank you again, Miss. Akako."

"Of course." Akako took the plate and placed them in front of the two boys. They were young enough they could share a chair in her kitchen and old enough that they looked funny doing it. She sat across from them with her own plate. "I hope it's to your liking."

"Oh, wow!" Kaito looked at the eggs and milk and juice that was in front of him, along with something that looked like a small, spiral-like muffin. He went for the eggs first, hungry for something besides candy.

"How's your leg doing?" Akako asked. The salve would have taken away any infection and dulled the pain, for a while at least.

"Umm, still hurts a little. It's easier to walk though. Thanks for helping us yesterday. We were really in trouble for a while there. And thanks for helping us today. These are the best eggs I've ever eaten!" That was all the time he was going to spend wasting on words instead of stuffing his face.

Akako watched them, a smile on her face. Well, the boy was thick headed, that was for sure.

Saguru smiled to himself, glad he could share the praise for his part in making it, and started eating himself. It was really good and he wondered if he could learn new things for dinner that night. If he learned what he could now and Kaito continued to heal, they could make it home in time to go meet up with father and he would have useful skills that he actually knew how to use.

Kaito moved onto the pastry, finding it even better then the eggs. It was warmed up apple and spices all in some weird, soft bread. It tasted great and he needed the juice to finish that. "That was awesome." He let in and let out a breath, smiling up at the witch. "I have a question. I know I'm still healing but can we go outside? Just a little? I wanna look around the house."

"Right now?" They had just eaten. It was a little soon to be playing.

Kaito shook his head. "I mean whenever. We don't know where home is, so it's not like we can leave and tell you. These are keeping us here, right?" He raised the bracelet upward. "I tried to go outside last night and I couldn't. Can't you make your spell thing so we have a little more room to walk around? I like going out."

"Hmm." Akako tapped her cheek. "I suppose I could make it so you can't go further than ten yards from the house or something, so you could have some freedom." There was no harm in that unless someone should see them. "But you have to promise me if anyone comes by you walk right in here and tell me."

Kaito nodded. He wasn't about to give away the witch lady that had helped them so much.

Saguru swallowed his last bite and nodded as well. "Yes, Ma'am." He did not want to be mistaken as an animal by a hunter anyway and he did owe her enough to not get her hurt either.

Akako took them at their word, extending her fingers where they were and focusing on the spell around the bracelets to give them a little more freedom. It took only a second and she stood after. "There. I'm going to go back to bed. This is a little early for me. I'll see you both for dinner. You can grab whatever you'd like for lunch. I don't have much in the way of entertainment but in the main room, in the desk, is pen and paper. There are some cards in there as well. If you'd like something in particular, I'll have someone keeping an eye on you. Just ask the fireplace and if I can get it, I will."

Kaito was pretty stuck off his feet for the next however long so he was good with just sitting around. He wanted to talk to his brother anyway.

Saguru was glad he had finished eating because he was sure he would have choked when she said to ask the fireplace for something. It would have been strange and she was not gone yet. "Umm, do you have any books somewhere?"

"Yes, I do. I have a few dozen fictional and non-fictional. You'll find the small library in the room after the bathroom, near where you have been sleeping. My personal books are downstairs with me."

Saguru brightened at that thought and wondered if there were any he had not read. Being a witch in a candy house, he had to think there were some that were new to him. "Thank you. Sleep well."

Akako nodded and left the two kids, yawning when she was out of their sights. Kids were a handful but they were getting on in age and would work perfectly for her.

Kaito watched Akako leave, getting up and limping a bit as he went around the corner to check. He came back into the kitchen and sat next to Saguru, wondering if she had some way of listening in on them still. " _Hey, I'm so confused. I thought everyone told us witches were mean and they only wanted to kill us. Why is she being so nice and... human_."

Saguru had thought about that most of the morning and sighed. " _I have two ideas. One, she really is nice and most people only know about or talk about the bad ones. Like how the ladies at the barber shop always talk about the bad things others do and not the good. Two, maybe it is like a werewolf or something, where they are 'human' most of the time and become mean once a month_."

Kaito had never heard of something like that but Saguru distracted him and he had to laugh. "You listen to lady's a the barber shop?"

Saguru pouted and crossed his arms. "I never try to but unlike you, I do not amuse myself painting the mirrors with the shaving cream."

"Hey, they like my drawings."

Saguru rolled his eyes and jumped down, taking the empty plates to the sink. "At least there is nothing you can use like that here."

Kaito wasn't sure about that. There was probably whipped cream somewhere with all this candy. He let it go though, getting off slowly and tried not to put too much weight on his leg as he looked around. He still didn't understand it. Did the adults lie to him? He'd heard stories about witches but, now that he thought about it, he never personally knew anyone who had encountered one. "Maybe they just got it all backwards."

"Maybe." Saguru kind of doubted every story was wrong. He had thought about that but there had to be a reason so many exsisted, which was how he came to his two conclusions. He really hoped it was the first one and Miss. Akako was a rare, nice witch but if it was the second, Saguru hid a shiver, not wanting them to be there if she did suddenly become mean.

"Why _doesn't_ she go to town with us. Maybe the people would be scared at first but this," Kaito broke off a piece of the stove they must have used, finding some chocolate and pink filling inside of it before it repaired itself. " _This_ could save everyone. Dad left because he was worried about food. This is unlimited food." He spread his hands, thinking that that would be a great solution to everyone's problem.

Saguru touched the repaired area and bit his lip. " _Would they let her live_?" Saguru looked at Kaito. "Sweets are great but you know it is not real food and I read historical books about people that had gold mines and stuff but they were killed by others just to take it for themselves, and they were not even witches. If we take her with us, we need to make sure they do not kill her first. She is helping you, she saved our lives, so we need to know what to do first. Father is not there to convince the rest of the townspeople for us." He looked down, wishing again that he was, just so they could tell him first.

"Well, I'm sure mom could do it too. They're all probably more hungry then scared. We could just bring food from here to the town too, so they don't have to know where she lives. I don't know how to make it so they don't follow us, but I'm sure there's a way or mom can get them to agree at least on that."

Saguru knew she could but would mother do that. He had started getting a twist in his stomach whenever he thought of her and his heart hurt when that happened. "We can try." He smiled and tilted his head. "I want to see what books she has. Maybe one of them will help us."

Kaito wasn't sure what they could find in a book that would help a town get over it's fear of witches but he nodded. At least he'd be doing something while he laid down. "Dad can come home then too."

Saguru truly brightened at that and nodded. "Remember not to walk on that too much." He teased as he headed toward the room they used, looking to bury himself in the books and find something that could back up one of their suspicions or ideas.

Kaito was going to follow him anyway and he wasn't about to walk like a dog in someone's house. He followed Saguru down the hall, peeking in the bathroom. "I wonder if the toilet is editable. Ew." He laughed, tapping Saguru. "I dare you to try it."

"Not a chance. I am never doing one of your dares again. Remember that frosted pole last winter? Hey, stop laughing, it was not funny. I was stuck there forever before father found us."

Kaito continued to chuckle. "And after. He made you breath on it breathe on it and when I tried you told me my breath stank."

Saguru wrinkled his nose. "Well, it did."

Kaito rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Says you." Saguru was just too picky.

Saguru could not believe Kaito still tried to brush it off. "Smell your own breath some time and then tell me that."

Kaito cupped his hand over his mouth and smelled his breath. "Smells great. Like apples."

Saguru sighed, broke the door handle, some kind of gummy candy thing that he knew had liquid inside it, and threw it at Kaito. He smirked and ran inside the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Hey!" Kaito got some weird goo on his shirt and grinned, trying to get in at Saguru. The handle wasn't back yet and there wasn't anything to gab off the door to break into it. "Cheater!"

Saguru could not hide the laughter as he leaned against the door. "You have done that to me so many times, consider that my payback."

Kaito wasn't stupid. He dug his finger in the hole. All he had to get do was get that part that kept the door closed out. Saguru could just break the handle again.

Saguru felt the door shift against his back and his mouth dropped. "Are you _eating_ the door?"

Kaito thought he might as well eat it so he did, breaking part of the door to get to the weird part that was something chewy. "Yep. Coming to get you!"

Saguru slid to floor, trying to hold the door shut, torn between amusement, shock and maybe a bit of fear because Kaito had a very vivid imagination when it came to payback. "Come on, you are not being fair." Saguru looked around, wondering if he could get out the window before Kaito made it through the door.

Kaito just needed the latch and he took it out and ate it, pushing one the door and keeping his hand there so it wouldn't reform right away. He broke away a bit of the door while he did, to actually eat through it if he had to. It was chocolate and something with some kind of spice. It didn't mix well with breakfast but it was worth it.

Saguru bolted for the window, hoping that, this one time, he could beat Kaito. There was a small reading table under the window but he needed to pull the chair out first. He had no idea why he was smiling either.

Kaito felt the give when nothing was holding the door back anymore. He stumbled in, looking around and finding Saguru trying to make a get away. He was going for the pillows first.

Saguru glanced over his shoulder at the same time he felt something hit him from behind. "Hey."

Kaito laughed, going for the second and only pillow. Saguru had one of his own so it was a fair fight.

Saguru grabbed the pillow laying near him and held it up. more as a shield than a weapon like Kaito was.

Kaito didn't know if the pillow had anything weird in them but they felt like pillow and he didn't mind winning this pillow war.

Saguru quickly held up the pillow, blocking the first swing and ducking the second. He was not sure he wanted to risk trying to hit him back as it would leave him open. He was stuck on the table, unable to turn and get out or get down.

Kaito didn't let up, having fun. He and Saguru played a lot, but never in the house where 'something could break' and mom always yelled when he tried to take a pillow outside. He couldn't break anything here except Saguru and his brother didn't look like he was going to fall.

Saguru ducked a few more times, trying to stay balanced and backing away when he tried to block a hit. He had nowhere to go and, on a whim, shoved himself forward, pillow first, to tackle Kaito.

Kaito had his arm across him, ready to backhand with the pillow, when Saguru trapped it where it was and took them both to the floor. He had nothing to hit him with, what with his arm at the strange angle, and instead pulled at his clothes to get him off, laughing.

Saguru shifted, trying to stay on and smiling, trying to just hold Kaito down. "Just admit I won." He reached down and tried tickling Kaito to get him to let go of his clothes.

Kaito laughed, unable to curl up in on himself and block his body while Saguru was on top of him. He tired to tickle him back but it was hard when he already started. "Fine! Fine! You win!"

Saguru laughed and sat back, letting him up. He breathed out and then looked down at Kaito, tilting his head. "Is this how you always feel when you beat me?"

"No. Usually I'm scared you'll go crying to mom and dad." Kaito grinned, holding his pillow up and taking a bit. "Hm. Fluffy candy." He had been wondering.

Saguru rolled his eyes and looked at the pillow. "How can you still eat more after breakfast?"

"I just wanted to taste it." Kaito relinquished his pillow by throwing it at Saguru. He really liked being here and not being yelled at for doing what he wanted. "This place is awesome."

Saguru licked his lips and brushed a stray piece off. "You just have a sweet tooth bigger than this house."

"I'd eat this house then and then eat again. The food here is good though. I wonder where she gets her food like the eggs. Did she say?"

Saguru paused before shaking his head. "No, she just said she had it and there are spells to keep it from going bad. She said she would get anything we wanted but not how."

"Well, she has all this food and a pretty nice place. Plus she's a witch and can get things then. How about if we can't bring her to town first, we get mom and bring mom here? Send word to dad? If they both accept her and where the food comes from, the town would be easy."

Saguru nodded. "That sounds good, plus, I am sure father would want to thank her for saving us too."

Kaito watched Saguru messing with the pillow and not looking all that happy about the idea. "You're still mad at mom, huh?"

Saguru blinked before looking down at the pillow and blushing a little before huffing. "She left you behind. Until she gives me a really good reason for that, yes."

Kaito shrugged. "I'm sure she does. I was hurt and it was dark and there were probably animals out there. Because I was bleeding, maybe she was afraid taking me back would have drawn something hungry to us. I don't know where she was trying to go or do, but she's our mom." Kaito got up, careful on his leg, and offered Saguru his hand. "It hurts to think bad things so I'd rather believe good things."

Saguru took Kaito's hand, unsure he could be that willing to believe it yet, but stood more on his own so he did not pull Kaito down. "Fine, but when we get back, can I ask you a favor? I want you to stay back a little and let me ask her first. I remember when you thought mother had no idea about one of your tricks, you would tell things differently than when you knew she knew."

Kaito shrugged. "Sure, I guess, but that's kind of mean. I'm sure she's been worried about both of us. I didn't think you were that kind of person."

Saguru looked down. He had not thought she was either and he wanted her reactions, her reasons, first. "I just need to know if she'd lie. If she tells the truth, I will take all the blame but _... I just need to know_."

Kaito nodded. "Reasons aside, we still have each other. Thanks for coming after me."

Saguru looked up and smiled. "We _are_ brothers. I think this is the second time I ever directly disobeyed mother, first time I have no regrets attached."

Kaito nodded. "I was scared. I didn't want to go out alone at night with mom. I thought I was getting in trouble. I don't really know. Maybe I _was_ in trouble for something and I just got hurt."

"It was not anything in the last two days because we were together all day the first day and you worked yourself more than me the day fa...the next day. Was there anything big you did the day before we milked the cow?"

Kaito thought about it. "I have no idea. Most of the time I don't think I'm doing anything wrong and I get yelled at, so maybe. If dad was closer, with you mad, I'd say we get him, but I have no idea where he is or how to send a message. Only mom would know that."

Saguru dropped down into the chair and sighed. "That would be... maybe we can ask Miss. Akako if she can find him herself."

"You're _really_ mad at mom." Kaito tipped his head. "But sure, we can ask."

Saguru dropped his face into his hands. He never felt this way before, even when she was punishing him. "I do not like it, I just... am." He sighed and stood quickly. "I am going to read for a bit. You should get off your leg for a while."

"I'll sit next to you and watch you read. I don't have anything else to do and I'll end up walking around anyway if I don't. A book is a bit boring but I can read."

Saguru was a little surprised but he honestly found he did not mind having his brother close to him. He nodded and stood, going to get a book, choosing a fiction book and leaning against the headboard so Kaito could be beside him and read as well.

Kaito closed his eyes after he sat, not bothering with a book. Saguru said he was looking for something but, when he peeked over at his brother reading, it didn't look like a book that actually taught you anything. He held his hand out for it. "Can I see?"

Saguru blinked, realizing he had stared at the first page without getting past the first sentence, and held it out to him, more out of shock that Kaito was asking for a book than anything else.

Kaito turned it over to see the cover. He hand seen this story book before, but it was a story book. He smiled, flipping to the first page. "I hope you didn't get far." He cleared his throat, being dramatic about it with his hand up to his mouth, before resting the book comfortably in his lap. "We called him Old Yeller. The name had a sort of double meaning." He didn't think he'd ever read a book to Saguru. Mom or dad would usually do that, and with both of them. It felt kind of nice though.

Saguru leaned back and closed his eyes, letting Kaito read and picturing the scenes as he read them. It reminded him so much of being home he had to hide the tears from that feeling with the sadder parts of the story.


	4. A Little of Myself

**Chapter 4: A Little of Myself**

Kaito's voice was staring to get really dry after a while and he had clear it more and more before he eventually put the book down. "It's a long book. I can't run around but you shouldn't be in here all day." He looked out the window at the light. "And I need something to drink. Want to go outside with me?"

Saguru wiped his eyes and nodded, taking a deep breath. "You always like it outside the best but, I agree, outside would be nice." 'Besides, Kaito sat here and read to me.'

Kaito put the book down and not away. He figured he'd be looking for it later at some point if he did. He was careful when he got down, but it still hurt. "Maybe we can find a walking stick or something that's my size. Lunch should be ready by the time we're back in and we can ask the witch about mom and dad. Or mom or dad. Whatever you want." Kaito wasn't particular which of their parents he went to, and for some reason, he felt more like he'd let mom down than she'd let him down. Moms didn't hurt their kids, so odds were he messed up whatever she was trying to do with him when he'd gotten hurt.

Saguru grinned. That was something he could do. "I bet I can get you the perfect branch and maybe if we strap one to your leg that goes below your foot, you could put weight on it again." Saguru thought hard as he jumped up, stopping at the door mid thought to hold out his hand for Kaito. "I can still help you in the meantime."

Kaito shook his head. "I'm not a baby. I'm good." He wanted to look around, though he'd do it from the ground.

Saguru nodded and headed out ahead of him, pouring drinks for both of them before going outside. He set both on the grass and took off along the edge of the actual woods to find a few branches for Kaito.

Kaito sat down, happy to have clean water. He didn't know he could be so happy to have something that seemed so hard for their family to get. The well was good most of the time, but this tasted cleaner, and there was food everywhere. It was all so great. He wanted to go get their parents and bring them here right now, only holding back because he was afraid if he was greedy with a witch, something bad might happen.

Saguru found a few branches, one that he was able to prune so Kaito could hold it under his arm and keep both hands free. He smiled, heading over to Kaito and crouching beside him, dropping a few and showing him the main one. "What do you think? It was the best I could find and if it is too tall, I could whittle it down a little."

Kaito shook his head. Any stick that wouldn't break would be fine. He took it and used it to stand up. "That's good, thanks." He looked around. "Were you able to tell where we are?"

"No, I tried but there was nothing I recognized. There are a few really tall trees that maybe, once your ankle is better, you could climb." Saguru knew there was no way he could do it. Kaito almost lived above ground.

Kaito looked at his leg. He wished it didn't hurt so much. He glanced upward at the trees. No, he probably couldn't do it. "How long do you think it will take? That time dad was hurt, it was a sprain." Kaito didn't know what was wrong with his but the trap had cut into him, so it was probably just a cut. He never had a big cut before.

Saguru had no idea how long really and kneeled next to him. "Maybe a day or two?" He wished he knew more about how to check the injury and how log it would take to heal.

Kaito nodded, looking from the trees to the house. "I didn't think I'd like staying with a witch but this place is cool, the food is good, and I haven't gotten yelled at." He smiled more at that last part. If mom and dad came by, he might get yelled at again, but less so if he still couldn't break anything.

Saguru felt satisfied that Kaito was not putting much weight on the ankle and stood, holding his drink now. "You rarely avoided that, whether it was minor or major." He smirked, thinking about the time when it started for his table manners and went to his last crazy stunt.

"You feeling better, by the way? I'm kind of used it to." Saguru hadn't said he was still hurt and they were on day two.

Saguru shrugged. It had still stung but Kaito was way worse and Saguru had focused on that or anything else. "It is better, yes."

"Good." Kaito bent down and picked up one of the longer sticks, handing it to Saguru before wielding his own like a sword. "On guard!"

Saguru shifted the branch and eyed Kaito. "I do not know if you are crazy for doing this with your ankle or me for thinking I may have a decent chance this time." He held the branch as best he could and tried to get his stance right from the book he had read over the winter.

Kaito just wanted to play pirates or something with Saguru. He waited until he had the sword up, hitting it a few times. He never aimed for the person holding the stick when he played anyway, only the stick. The game wasn't fun when he got hurt.

Saguru hit the stick back, circling instead of backing away to make it slightly easier for Kaito. He could never do the voices like Kaito but he id keep one eye closed.

Their dad was gone, they were in the middle of nowhere, and Saguru wasn't sad or missing home or anything. He had to think he felt the same as he did, and enjoyed pretending to be a rival pirate, closing one eye like Saguru and looking towards a tree, pretending it was a ship and the grass at the bottom it's treasure.

Saguru batted him away, trying to keep him where he was and defending his supposed territory. "You are not going to win."

Kaito didn't think there was winning or losing in this game. "Ye can't keep me away from your treasure forever!"

"You will yield first." Saguru responded, swinging the sword and trying to knock the branch out of Kaito's hand before Kaito managed to do it to him.

Kaito laughed, not losing any ground to Saguru but not able to bend down to get anything without having to guard himself right away again. If he had full use of his leg he'd get the treasure, but peg legs weren't as cool as he thought. It was getting dark before he blinked and looked around. "Wow, it's getting late."

Saguru paused and looked up, noticing the same and surprised that they had been outside so long. "Wow. When the last time we lost track of time playing?" He smiled a little as he asked that, knowing it had to have been awhile.

Kaito shrugged. They did chores part of the day and then he was usually off playing with the other kids, trying to get Saguru to come along. "I don't know but I'm hungry."

Saguru nodded and headed toward the house. "What do you want? I bet I coul find some food, if Miss. Akako is busy."

Kaito shrugged. "I don't know. We can pick what we eat?" He'd never done that before.

"That is what I understood. Come on." Saguru left the way in and headed to the kitchen, checking the different cupboards again to find something for dinner. "Well? What do you want? I am not too sure about using the stove alone, but there are plenty of things here, we could even make sandwiches or something with this bread."

If Kaito could have anything he wanted... "I want steak and potatoes."

Saguru grimaced and sighed. "I just said I was not sure about using the stove. Maybe we could cut them into small pieces and hold it over the fire ourselves.. " Saguru was not sure why Kaito ignored half of what he said.

Akako had been up for some time. She had come up only to find the boys outside. She waited until they were back inside, listening a little before she walked into the kitchen. "You were both late for lunch. I didn't think you were coming in at all. Are you making your own dinner plans?"

Saguru spun, blushing a little. "We lost track of time and I was not sure if you were busy."

Kaito had a lot of questions to ask her but he figured food first. It seemed rude to just start in and question her. Plus, he was kind of scared to. "Can we have steak and potatoes?" He didn't know how to cook it, doubted Saguru did, and Saguru had said she said anything.

Akako laughed to herself. "Of course you can. That might take a little while though. If I use magic to flash heat the meat like earlier, it won't cook right. Why don't you both go have a seat somewhere and I'll tell you when it's ready?"

Kaito was fine sitting at the kitchen table. He sat, looking from Saguru to the witch before trying to relax. "Sure, can we talk to you while dinner is being made?" He hoped his pleading look towards his brother was having an effect. He always messes up and didn't want to right now.

"Sure, why not?" Akako turned to the stove, the fire lighting at her own will. The meat she'd have to get out of the storage area.

Saguru settled down next to Kaito, taking a deep breath and sighed. "We were thinking about our parents and we know they must be worried about us. Umm, is there any way you can help us contact them?"

Akako's eyes darkened and she looked towards them without letting them see her expression and she wasn't able to make them out. "I was going to ask you about that. Are they going to be out in the forest looking for you?"

Saguru bit his lip. "Father left to find work and would send for us. I am sure he would when he finds out we are missing. Mother... I have no idea to be honest. She-" Saguru paused. It was one thing to speak ill of her actions with Kaito but it felt... wrong to say the same things to a stranger. Even if she was helping them.

Akako smirked at that, turning from the storage area to kneel next to Saguru. "Is she dead?"

Saguru shook his head. "No, I mean, I do not think so. She was walking away from where I found Kaito, but I do not know if she made it or not.." Saguru blinked, realizing he had spoken that without thinking, or, spoken as he thought instead of wording it after he thought it out.

Akako looked between them. "You _are_ brothers, right?" It sounded more as if Saguru and Kaito found each other by accident. "I think you should start at the beginning. Here." She picked him up as she had before and put him in a chair, grabbing a few steaks and letting the fire cook them as she sat next to him. "I'm listening, unless you don't feel like telling me. I can't understand what you want me to do though if I don't know what's going on."

Saguru looked at Kaito, not sure why he wanted to tell her but feeling bad that Kaito still had faith in mother after what she did. He started with how badly the village was suffering after the harsh winter, then the cow incident, leaving out the punishment but telling her that father left for work because of it and how mother suddenly took Kaito outside with her, telling him to stay, and how he followed, hearing the yell and seeing mother pass in the other direction without Kaito. He spoke of finding him and finished with her finding them. "Father will listen, he would see you are helping us. Mother, she may, but she was the only one that knew where father went."

"Hm. I don't know." Akako was truly thinking on this. "Your mother sounds untrustworthy. I can likely find your father, but there will be a lot of people to go through and it could take some time, as I'd have to go on a description from the two of you. There is a town on the other side of the forest, but it's a few days journey, and this whole area has suffered from the winter." She stood with a smile and placed a hand on Saguru's head. "How about the both of you stay here longer, until I can find your father?"

Kaito fidgeted. He still wanted to see mom. it would be nice seeing dad but mom had to be really worried with both of them gone. Going back to town after he was better seemed like a better idea to him, though he didn't want to object.

Saguru looked over at Kaito and could read some of his face. He exhaled and looked up. "Can Kaito and I talk about it first?"

"Sure thing. There's no need to rush to any decisions just yet. I am just alone in these woods, and it's nice to have company." Akako stood. "I'll be in the other room. The food will cook itself. I'd like to talk to you both tonight after dinner as well."

Saguru nodded and looked at Kaito as she walked away. "Kaito? I know what you think but, I don't know what to think anymore. I want to go home but if she can find father first, he can talk to her. On the other hand, I do not want to make him mad if it is not true, I just..." Saguru clenched his hands and shook his head.

"Hey, Saguru." Kaito looked down, putting his hands on the table and making nervous gestures with his fingers. "I do a lot of stuff wrong. Mom always got madder that dad but I know why. I could have broken someone or hurt someone or something like that. If she was punishing me for something I did, and going to come back after scaring me, I don't know if that's wrong. I mean, I wouldn't do it, but I don't always understand mom and dad. Dad's gone now, and mom's all alone with no idea that you were going to be gone too. She could have been looking for us both, not expecting us to have disappeared. She's alone and could be scared and dad told me to look after you both and I... I don't know if I already messed that up but I don't like her being alone. I didn't want to be alone." He met Saguru's eyes. "And you saw to that. We should make sure she's not alone either."

Saguru teared up and swallowed, hating the thought that it had been to scare Kaito for some punishment. "And leaving me all night and maybe most of the day alone until she returned would be alright?" Saguru knew that either way, they had the answer but he still wanted his own answers from her when they returned. He nodded before Kaito could answer and sighed. "Mother first then."

Kaito smiled, happy Saguru agreed with him. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you alone either." He got off his chair and went over to hug his brother. "We're a family, no matter what. We'll be alright."

Saguru nodded, even though he did not fully believe it yet, he had his brother and he returned the hug. " _You tell her so you can give your reasons_."

"I'm just going to say I'm sorry. I don't know what I did, but I mess up a lot, so either way I'll be sorry." Kaito backed off, putting his hand on Saguru's leg. "And mom left me alone. I know what that means. I was hurt and she left me." There were some tears in his eyes. "I don't like that at all, but I don't think I care. Like I said, she's mom."

Saguru shook his head, still not believing Kaito had done anything, but mother was, well, lik Kaito said, their mother. "I guess it will get us home faster, either way. Maybe father will send for us by then."

Dad had made it sound like it would be a while, but he wasn't going to say anything about that. Mom had let him alone in the woods. Who knew what could have happened to him? He didn't like being abandoned like that, but he wasn't going to leave mom alone when he promised dad he'd look after her. He nodded. "Just don't be too mad at her. I promised dad I'd keep us _all_ safe, so that's what I'm going to do."

Saguru nodded but he silently wondered who would keep Kaito safe. He silently promised it would be him as he looked over at the door to see if Miss. Akako was returning yet, before looking back at Kaito. " _I know you will."_

Saguru understood a little of what he was getting at, and that was good enough for him. He went back over and sat on the chair again, curling his hands around his head and resting until dinner was ready. "I still think this place is awesome though."

Akako came back in, a pot of water and potatoes over the fire in the other room. She had waited until they were done speaking, having listened in even if they thought they were alone. "It won't be much longer. The steaks should be done by now." She went over and got them off the stove, putting them on plates before placing them on the table and getting a large bowl to put in some of the mashed potatoes instead of carrying the big pot in here.

Saguru had smiled at Kaito in agreement and stood when their hostess started putting the food on the table. "What do you want to drink? I can get them."

"There should be a pitcher of juice in there. we can all have some of that if you want." Akako was liking this boy more and more. "There's milk or lemonade in there as well."

Saguru grabbed the lemonade and juice, trying to balance them and looked at Kaito. "Which do you want?"

"Umm, what kind of juice?" Kaito turned around, seeing it was kind of brown. It was probably some kind of apple juice. "I'll take the juice." He had an instinct to get down and help, but he really didn't want to walk anymore today. "Sorry. Thanks."

Saguru shook his head, glad Kaito had stayed put, and poured a glass of lemonade for himself and juice for the other two before putting the pitchers back and taking the cups to the table. The food smelled just as good as breakfast had and he regretted missing lunch.

Akako sat after they all had some steak and potatoes. She didn't think she had to cut it up for them. They looked old enough. It had been a while since she had this meal in particular and started eating.

Kaito had had steak before. He had. What he was eating now tasted nothing like steak though and he didn't even touch the potatoes as he ate. It was _so good_.

Saguru tried not to either laugh or roll his eyes and apologize for Kaito's actions. The food was delicious but Kaito looked like he was a wolf, or a cub anyway, going for just the meat and ignoring everything else. Saguru went back and forth until some of the mashed potatoes got on a piece of meat. It tasted really good together so he kept doing it. "Thank you, Miss. Akako, this is really tasty."

"You're welcome. Do you mind sitting together after this with me and simply talking with me? There are a few things I don't know and a few things we should probably get out of the way."

Saguru shook his head. "Not at all, Ma'am." He was interested in asking her a few things but had no idea how to do it without possibly offending her and hoped she asked her questions first.

Kaito didn't mind either. He didn't know what he could ask that he hadn't already, but why she was helping them was a good place to start. He didn't care about that currently, as she was, and her reasons could remain her own for the time being.

Akako smiled and nodded her head before returning to what was left of her food and drink.

Saguru finished and sat back, noticing Kaito had devoured his steak without touching his potatoes. He leaned back and wondered if they could just break off some candy as dessert.

Kaito poked at the table, wondering for a while now if it was made of something too. He held onto a little bit of it and broke it away, seeing that it came away as easily as the rest of the house. He licked it before chewing a small bite, seeing that it was something with the texture of a cracker and the sweetness of a cookie. "Wow. How do you get everything to, you know, not be candy when you don't want it to be?"

"That's how magic works. If I don't want it to break, it won't. If I want it to move, it will form into what I want it to form into. I have to use hard candy or sweets for anything like a table or the chairs, and softer things for anything more delicate though. I can't completely bend something against it's will."

That was pretty cool still. He'd never thought of eating the chair before. It was probably something like the table.

"If you're both done, do you mind coming with me now? I can get some sweets and tea and we can talk for a bit."

Saguru nodded and jumped down, peeking over his shoulder to see Kaito still nibbling on the piece of the table. "I think the tea will be fine. Kaito may just eat the cup instead." He smiled slightly at Kaito.

Kaito though about the dishes and looked down. He lightly picked up the plate and put his teeth to it, finding he _could_ eat it. "Wow. Maybe I will."

Akako shook her head as she walked out of the room, watching the kids come with her. She didn't fail to notice that Kaito had a stick and had brought it in the house, using it to help him walk. She'd have to treat his wound again, but she could get to that later. "Both of you sit. I'll be right back."

Saguru jumped up onto the couch and sighed as she left, looking at Kaito. "I admit, I thought about that too but I can not believe you actually did it."

"I wanted to know what it was. Tasted like chocolate." Kaito licked his lips and smiled. "The toilet probably _is_ candy and I dare you _again_ to eat it."

"You first and I still will not promise that I will too." Saguru made a face and shook his head. "It still sounds disgusting."

Right, Kaito had never said he would, but Saguru had gotten out of him wanting to get him to try it. He shrugged and smelled the tea as it was placed in front of him, a cup handed to each. He noticed a candy cane in it and smile, licking it before sticking it back in. There weird doughnut stuff she brought it, covered in different colors of the rainbow that she brought in after. He put his tea down and took one, taking a second before he sat comfortably.

"There, we're all settled now." Akako sat down with her own sweet and tea. She dipped it in the tea. "I asked you about the both of you and I got a story about a mom leaving her children alone in the woods, purposefully or not. I take it your father is away and the four of you live together in a poor town. Is there anything else you'd like to share? I can answer some questions as well. I'm sure, being children, you have some."

"Yes, I had taken that to mean about how we got there but you do have the basic idea. I am not sure what else to add, you can ask if you want but I was wondering... how did you get here?"

"Me? Well I can't live in town now, can I? And no one wants to live with their parents forever. Most stories you hear about are of finding witches in out of the way places, are they not? What better place to stay unseen."

Saguru bit his lip. He really did not want to upset her but this was all so new to him. He could not believe someone would leave their parents. He would have said never to both before but he really did not want to leave his father now. "Did they, I mean... so you left on your own? Was your mom one too?"

"My mother was. I'm not sure if my father was. I'm not even sure if he was human, though in all likelihood he was. You see, witches don't meet other witches too often, and most of us are female, so it's hard to find someone out there who's not going to try and kill us or capture us or use us for their own purposes. And no, unlike your brother there, I was not left out on my own. Witches... tend to go their own way. She raised me and then, when I was old enough, I left. I've learned all I needed to from her. There was no reason to stay." Akako smiled. "Are you afraid your mother abandoned the both of you?"

Saguru felt bad about his answer but he did answer. "She had told me to stay behind so, both of us, no. I am just afraid she was doing it to my brother and want to know if it is true."

Kaito bowed his head a little, looking at Saguru. "I... I don't know. There was probably a reason, or she did." He shrugged. He would feel bad if she had but... if he was feeling anything stronger, he couldn't tell.

Akako nodded. "And this is the woman you wanted me to see before. Did you still want me to show you how to get back?"

Saguru looked at Kaito and nodded, stealing himself. "Kaito says she has a reason," Saguru turned back to the woman. "I want to know either way and father will send word there anyway."

"Okay. I think I want to go with you. After all, I can probably get word to your father faster, and I want to see the town. It's been a while." Akako looked down at her robe and the cape, touching the tip of her hat. "Though I think I'll need to change into something more like you people."

Kaito wasn't sure if mom really had a reason but _he_ did and that was all that mattered to him. He had to blink at look at the witch though. She'd go with them? "I thought you couldn't go in to town."

Akako laughed. "Boy, I can go anywhere I want. You're the only two who will know what I am, and I'm sure you won't tell anyone. Why? Don't want me going with you? Did you plan on not coming back here with me? You can't find my house on your own."

A witch was coming with them to town... Was that a good thing?

Saguru felt insulted. "We would not do that. Even if someone asked, I would just say you were the nice lady that helped us. I do not know if they would believe us either way, about you being a witch, since, well, to them, most are evil and ugly, not nice and pretty."

"I'm flattered. To be fair, we do all come in different shapes and sizes, just like you humans do. I believe you."

"Why are you helping us? Can I ask? Is it just because you saw us in the woods? Even for strangers that's pretty rare and you seem like you don't get along with humans much." She used the word so Kaito used it back. He wasn't sure what else to call himself and Saguru and 'normal people' seemed wrong.

"You were close to my house and I do go out often to get ingredients or other such essentials. I admit, I wasn't sure how well you'd take to me, or I to you, but I like the both of you. I hope you're not still both afraid of me."

myself: Kaito shook his head but he wasn't sure if he could speak. He wasn't completely comfortable with her either, but she was mostly a stranger still.

"Not really. I admit, I think it is just the newness still, any stranger, witch or not."

"Was there something else you wanted to ask me, or just why I wasn't living with my mother?"

"Are we the first non-witches you, you know, interacted with?"

"Interacted with?" Akako thought about that. "Well, I've been too a few towns before, but of course I've never gone as myself. I do trade and buy things from humans occasionally. Aside from a short conversation though, I suppose you are."

Saguru shifted a little. "Maybe you can find others like us in town, show them you are not like the stories. Not everyone can be mean. I know I could never stand being alone all the time. You could make some friends."

"But I have made some friends, or do you not count yourself as such?"

Saguru blushed. "I... I guess. I never thought of having friends that were not our age. It seems... " Saguru had no idea what word to use. He was fine with helping like an adult but being friends with an adult. It was like befriending a teacher or one of the adults that worked in town. It was strange.

"I only have about ten years on you. I'm only seventeen." Akako had to laugh to herself. "You're young, but you're not that young. We close enough in age that we could be siblings, so I dont' think friends is too far a stretch, or will age be a problem?" Akako raised her finger, twirling her hand a few time times, rewinding. In a few seconds she was their age, and her clothes had shrunk to match. "That better?"

Saguru jerked back, his eyes wider than when she had done her trick with fire. That was all things, this was her actually shrinking in age. "How... ten years?"

"Mmm." Akako shrugged. "I was aiming more for relative size than years. It's easier that way." She took off her hat, too short now and it shading her eyes too much. "I hope I'm still pretty, even younger." She made sure to turn a little, letting it shift her hair and show off her eyes.

Saguru blushed and nodded before he realized it. Even based on the other girls at school and in their class, she was prettier. He had never even thought about it before that moment and wondered why.

Kaito was amazed she could turn back time like that. It was awesome. He had to wonder if she could do it for more than herself. Then she would have been able to heal him then. With witches it was all so confusing. "Why don't you just go like that? No one will think you're a witch and we can tell mom you're a friend from around town. She'll never know."

"It will be harder to reach everything but I can easily let the house take care of that." Akako blinked her eyes slowly at Saguru. The other boy was clearly too immature for girls. "Do you mind?"

"Ah-no. I mean, you can." Saguru looked down briefly, trying to figure out why his face was so warm and a snap startled him. H blinked and noticed he had broken a bit of the teacup off. He tried to make it seem intentional and put it in his mouth.

Akako smiled mischievously to herself. It might be easier to get what she wanted than she would have thought. Using one brother to get to the other didn't even seem necessary anymore. "Well, if you don't have any more questions, I'm off to bed. You can leave the dishes where they are by the way. The house is food, remember? It takes care of itself."

"Good night, Mi- Akako." It was strange calling her 'Miss.' when she now looked their age.

Kaito was still looking at her, amazed, even as she left the room. He jumped up a little in his seat. " _That is_ so _cool! I wonder what else she can do! She can make things fly and turn back time and make really, really good food. There should be_ more _witches like her!"_

 _"If there are, I doubt they would look like her. She did say they were all different_."

"Why would they not look like her?" Kaito was confused but he didn't miss Saguru blushing and grinned, getting it. He raised both his pointer fingers and moved them in a tick-tock motion. "Saguru and Akako sitting in a candy tree. K - I - S - S - I - N - G."

" _Kaitooo_." Saguru grabbed the seat cushion and threw it at Kaito, blushing deeper. "You are crazy and on a sugar high, or both. Now I'm going to bed too."

"Hey!" Kaito moved the cushion, following after Saguru and having to stop to get the stick. "Am not! Besides, what's wrong with having a witch wife? I bet she can even teach you how to fly. Wouldn't that be so cool!" He coughed to himself. "' _Course kissing her would be kind of gross_."

Saguru shook his shirt out, realizing it was almost three days now since he had put on a clean shirt and he could at least air it out tonight. " _Who says_?" He crawled into the bed and stuck his tongue out at Kaito, not wanting to say what he was responding to, maybe everything, but it was still a bit new, any of it. It was not like he had never seen mother and father kiss but it was something adults did.

That was a weak response that didn't make much sense. Kaito got in bed with him though. " _Those who deny it so strongly secretly want it more_." He snickered, closing his eyes. This little brother was so fun to tease.


	5. Home Again, Home Again

**Chapter 5: Home Again, Home Again  
**

Akako didn't like going to bed early but she didn't like them being awake before her. She made sure to get up at dawn, like the humans, and hated the daylight so much. It was so much easier to go around at night. She yawned, checking out her younger self in the mirror and changing her outfit up a bit. She molded it into sleeveless, deep red shirt that went across her chest only and a deep, thick black shirt that skirted across the floor. She couldn't help adding a touch of 'witch' and keeping a black cape that hung about her. Happy with her look, she went to the kitchen. She decided to start breakfast without asking them. It was easy enough to make a porridge her own way, with spices that human's didn't know existed that made it sweet, a hint of cinnamon to finish it off. Of course she needed break with that, so she made some flaky rolls they could dip in and had it all set and ready, pretty proud of herself. She normally only cooked for one.

Saguru woke up, almost surprised to smell the faint sent of food cooking already. He heard Kaito sleeping beside him and winced. He had hoped to wash his clothes before she woke up. He nudged Kaito as he climbed out of the bed. "Kaito, are you coming?"

myself: " _Mmm,_ coming? Where are we going?" Kaito wiped his eyes, blinking them a few times as he stretched.

Saguru rolled his eyes and dropped a pillow on his head. "Breakfast, unless you want to eat that instead."

Kaito yawned and pushed the pillow out of his face. It seemed kind of early for breakfast but they had gone to bed kind of early too and, without chores, it was getting hard to tell what time of day it was. "Coming, I'm coming."

Saguru had no idea what to ay when he saw her but maybe she would be busy again, or go back to sleep and he could wash his clothes then. He stepped onto the kitchen and took a deep breath. "Wow, it smells so good in here."

"I hope so. I'm not sure what you eat for breakfast that I don't, so I hope this is good enough." They woke up faster than she thought they would and she busied herself getting bowls, the pastries already on the table. "Sit, it's ready."

"Mmm." Kaito closed his eyes. The food always smelled and tasted so good. Witches were better at cooking than he would have thought, being alone and stuff.

Saguru felt his face warm a little again as he headed for a seat. "Thank you and this looks wonderful."

Akako laughed to herself, setting the bowls on the table. She wasn't sure if she was talking about the house, the table setting, or the food, but she liked to think it was a mix of everything - including the contents of said house. "Here. I hope you like it." She placed the bowls on the table foe each of them, sitting down with her own and not used to feeling so short as she ate.

Saguru started to eat, finding the pastry tasted just as good as it looked. The porridge was another thing. He had no idea what she put into it but it was very different than any he had ever had. "This tastes like you put your house in it or something. I never thought porridge would taste anything except bland unless fruit was in it."

"I don't think eating candy all the time would be good for anyone. It's just some sugar cane and spices. I've never had bland porridge before, and I hope I never do." Akako ate another bit before looking over at him. "Did you want some fruit in it? I'm not sure how well it will taste with the sweetness."

"Oh, no, this tastes great as it is I was not trying to insult you or anything, I just never expected it to taste like this on its own." Saguru put another spoonful in his mouth to avoid putting his foot in it again.

Akako smiled. "I didn't take it as an insult. I'm sure there are some ways I like food that you don't. Besides." Akako tapped the table, a few strawberries appearing on a plate. The later was the only thing made of candy. The berries just needed to be moved from one place to the other. "These would probably taste just fine in there." She pushed them over to him, taping her finger again once they were there and watching them fall apart into evenly spaced pieces so he could simply put them in. "I was wondering. Your brother's leg will still take a week or so to heal completely, though he should be able to move around on it now decently. I could get us to your village today if you wanted, through my own means of course. I wouldn't want either of you to grow tired or Kaito to hurt himself.

Kaito looked up from his food, most of it gone. He hadn't been looking forward to walking on his leg for a while still. Putting weight on it still hurt. If she could get them there though, he did want to talk to mom and dad, let both of them know they hadn't died or anything. Saguru was being flaky about that though, and they'd only been resting a full day and some. He put his head back down, taking another pastry and letting his little brother decide.

Saguru had glanced at Kaito and bit his lip but his mind was made up when she said it would take over a week. Father would send for them by then and he did want to clear the air with mother first, instead of bringing it up after. "That would be perfect. Ummm, before we leave, I..." Saguru felt embarrassed now. How did one ask a stranger, or, still new friend, that one wanted to do laundry? Saguru nibbled on the strawberries, trying to think how to say it, when his hand missed the plate just enough to tip it and send a couple onto his lap.

Akako wasn't used to dealing with boys, young or old, and she wasn't sure what he was trying to ask. She didn't need to wonder long when some of the juice from the berries stained his already pretty stained shirt. She wasn't sure what part of the filth came from the forest and what had already been there. "You want to bathe, huh? Go ahead. If you don't mind though, I think the clothes your both wearing should be burnt. I can make you new ones."

Now Saguru was as red as the berries and all he could do was stare at the almost empty bowl in front of his and wondered if he could disappear.

Kaito pulled at his clothes. Looking them over, they were pretty dirty. Mom wasn't there to wash them and they had both slept in the forest. "Thanks. Think I can get something that looks like this though?"

"Sure. I might change it up a bit, but I wouldn't want you to have something on you wouldn't want to be wearing." Akako got down and nodded to them. "Both of you can actually bathe together, if you don't mind. My tube is on the larger side and neither of you is very big. I'll be in the main room waiting."

"What about, I mean, I think we should take our clothes with us, so we can get dressed before coming out... right?"

"That's why I said you can take a bath together. I'll have your new cloths ready by then and neither of you will have to be standing around naked waiting for them. Or do you want to bathe first?"

Saguru was confused now. How would they get the clothes before leaving the bathroom if she was doing them while they bathed? "I mean, if we bathe before they are done, how will we get them? Are you going to fly them into the room like you did to the seat cushion?"

"I could. I was planning on the house taking them in so I didn't have to open the door but if you boys don't mind me seeing you in the tub, I could show them to you."

"No, no, no, I had no idea the house could do that. That will be fine. Thank you." Saguru jumped down from his empty bowl, flushed with embarrassment ad heading to the bathroom ahead of Kaito.

Akako laughed and looked at Kaito. "He does still remember that I'm older than the two of you, doesn't he? Leave the dishes. The house will get them. Go shower before he finishes before you."

Kaito smiled and nodded, feeling a lot more comfortable for some reason. Maybe looks did have something to do with it because, now that she wasn't towering over them, he felt much better about talking to her. "Sure. Thanks for taking us back by the way. Saguru might need help when we get there though. I think we're both a little mad at mom and, like you said, you're older. If you could make sure we don't do anything bad, that would be great." He got down from his seat as well, still using the stick Saguru had found for him. "Thanks again, for the clothes and food and everything."

"You're welcome. I'll see you both afterwards."

…

Saguru looked down at the new clothes and knew he would feel bad if he ruined them. They were nice and he could not believe she had made these so fast, maybe out of thin air because there was no way she had larger men's clothes to shrink to fir, He looked over at Kaito and chuckled. "All that black and grey on you makes you look more somber than you are."

"Yeah, but it's harder to get dirty, so I'm good with it." Kaito noticed that his were all monochrome and Saguru had all the colors. That was weird because he normally wore the colorful stuff, but black was a lot harder to get dirty, and he did get dirty a lot more often. "I wonder if she could make money and food the same way."

"Making food maybe but making money is wrong, it is counterfeiting and that is a bad thing." Saguru would never want something like that. He would rather earn it the right way than cheat like that.

"Yeah, but she's a witch. How would she make money? I don't see them working in shops or the mill or the fields." And this witch seemed really well off.

"Maybe she harvests the food herself or something. You could ask her." Saguru smirked and headed out the door and toward the main room.

Kaito was going to. He went outside with Saguru, seeing Akako sitting on the couch and putting a book down. "Hi. Thanks for the clothes." That was coming first. "Can I ask where you get all the stuff like this and your food and stuff? Do you have money?"

Akako smiled. "Money, some. I don't use it much. As for food, everything in the forest listens to me. If I need something, even out of season, I can grow it. It's as simple as that. Your clothes were made the same way, from the insects and the labor of everything around here. Cotton and silk are the easiest to get a hold of."

Huh. That was pretty interesting. He supposed that if she could get all the food and clothes she wanted, there really wasn't much need for money.

"Are you both ready to go?"

"Yes," Saguru replied, checking his clothes again. He had thought they were nice but silk?

Akako nodded, getting down and leading them both outside. "Walking on short legs will take too long and I said I could get us a ride. How do you feel about deer? They're not as well trained as horses but they're much easier to find. All you have to do is hold on." Riding in on a broom wasn't exactly subtle and she didn't want to get killed. She pushed the door open to outside, showing off the three fawns that were not a year yet in this world, *though large enough to easily carry them. "I made their antlers grow a bit early this year, though it won't harm them. It will give us something to hold onto."

Saguru caught his breath. He had never seen deer this young in person, let alone this close. "Will their parents be angry with them for smelling like humans? I read that some animals will reject their young if humans touch them."

"Some will. These deer are under my spell and I have used deer before. I make sure to return them the way I took them." Akako touched the back of one, tapping it so it lowered it head and she was able to get on. "Don't worry about it. I never harm the forest."

Kaito didn't like the way she said 'the forest' but this was too cool. He quickly got on the deer, using the stick to help himself up, and then realizing it was going to be too hard to hold while riding so he through it towards this house. "Awesome!" He said the word so much recently but there was no word better.

Saguru mimicked her hand gesture and was surprised when it reacted the same way. He climbed up and settled on the deer's back, petting it like Kaito had their cow to make sure it stayed calm.

"Let the deer do the work and you just hold on." Akako nodded her head forward, the deer taking the silent command to move forward. They'd have to get off before they reached the end of the forest but the fawns would remain until they traveled back.

Kaito had been nervous about talking to mom but, either way, he had promised he'd take care of her for dad and he would. The deer was just so awesome that he couldn't help petting it and touching it and holding the horns, probably scaring the poor thing but the deer didn't seem to mind.

Saguru found he enjoyed this a lot and wondered if he could ride horses soon. The sunlight shining through the leaves made everything look colored in green and gold. He had no idea how long they had to travel but he did try to start guessing based on the sun.

Kaito didn't notice until sitting on the deer started to become uncomfortable how far they truly were from the town. For all he knew he and Saguru had started walking in the wrong direction, but his brother had seemed so sure he didn't want to say anything. His butt was sore by the time the deer slowed down and he was able to see a house, not their own, through the treeline. He got down, looking back and forth between the other two. "We won't tell anyone or anything but your clothes..." Kaito wasn't sure what to say about them but, even small, Akako still looked very much like a witch.

"Oh, right." Akako spend all of a second making her cape vanish, her shirt growing longer and her skirt turning into pants. She twirled, her long hair and body no longer either shown off or half hidden. "Is that better?"

Kaito shrugged. They all looked too clean to be coming out of the forest together and the new clothes were going to be a hard thing to brush off. Some mysterious person helping them seemed like a good enough reason. His eyes met Saguru's. "Are you going to be okay?"

Saguru took a deep breath and nodded. He recognized the place and looked at Kaito, giving him a smile that may have been a little forced but it was still great to be home. He started toward their house, his stomach twisting but now that he was here, he felt like it was autopilot. He was going to go to the house and ask mother what she had been doing.

Kaito nodded to the witch. This was between them, for the time being. She didn't need to follow. He was sure that _he_ couldn't tell her not to do something if she wanted to do it though, and followed after Saguru until they were both in front of their front door. "She should be done with breakfast now, if she's in. Without the cow I'm not sure if she'd be in the area if she's not here." Kaito wanted to knock on the door but he had some strange inkling that Saguru should be the one doing that. It was harder on his brother than him, though Kaito could only guess why. "Go on."

Saguru exhaled, pushed open the door a little and looked around. "Mother? Are you here?"

Sharon had been doing most of nothing for the time being, having fed the few animals that remained and having eaten what she couldn't save. She heard Saguru and the door opening, the creak something that ingrained in her the compulsion to stand and great whoever it was there. She got up in a rush, fearing she had lost a productive son that could very well help the family survive. She wasted no time spotting him and taking him a hug, noticing Kaito just behind him. "I was so worried. What did I tell you!" Her cheerfulness turned to anger and she switched from hugging him to holding him by the shoulders and looking him over with some steal in her eyes. "I told you to stay here!"

"I followed because I did not want Kaito to miss a meal when I knew he had helped more than me. I lost track of you... why did you leave him there, hurt like that?" Saguru teared up a little and stared her in the eye, hoping she had a good answer.

Sharon let out a sigh. "You're too young to understand." As long as Kaito was back there was no point in having this argument anyway. He was another mouth to feed but maybe she could see if they could, indeed, work somewhere. He was always the one to get in trouble though and, it seemed, get Saguru into trouble. If there was one more mistake she would make sure he didn't come back. "I'm glad you're both safe now though. What happened to you? Where did you get those clothes?" There was no way that, if Saguru had followed her, both boys could have made it so far out of the forest on their own and come away so clean.

"We were found and helped by a new friend. They gave us new clothes this morning. I still want to know though, since Kito did nothing that day to be punished for."

Sharon took in and let out a breath. "That was the first time I've had to punish you in a long time. Unfortunately, I found that Kaito is a bad influence. You following me when I distinctly told you not to only helps prove this. I'm not sure what I was planning aside from getting him away from you. It seems you're both going to make that impossible though." Sharon made sure not to let go of Saguru. While she had been more than worried she had lost him, he _had_ disobeyed her. She looked over at Kaito, no reason to fault him for the same aside from the fact that he hadn't stayed where she'd wanted him either. That didn't seem punishable, at least not in front of Saguru. She shifted her hold to his arm and pulled him inside. "You worried me. I hope you know that."

"I was worried too, that was why I followed and I thought you would be in the barn so I would be right back." Saguru took a deep breath and let it out. "What would father say about it?"

"Your _father_ can make his own decisions when he's here. Right now it's me and the both of you. Kaito, close the door." She didn't think she had to tell Saguru he was going to get punished again but he had left on his own, clearly not listening to her, and this was how you had to teach children to listen.

Kaito hung back, confused and afraid. He wanted to walk back out but some ingrained need to listen to his mother overroad his sense of self-preservation. He walked in and shut the door as he was told, a few tears in his eyes. He was getting Saguru in trouble again, and he'd only done it because he'd asked him to. This wasn't something he'd forgotten or something he could take back. "Mom, please. He was just worried. I was too."

"Kaito, you should know well enough that 'sorry' and 'please' don't help when you've disobeyed your parents." She usually simple had Kaito lean over when she punished him, though she was unsure if Saguru would actually listen to her now. He had some spark of rebellion in his eyes that she hadn't seen before, likely placed there by his brother. She let him go, seeing how much of a punishment he should get. "Saguru, bend over." She at least made sure he was by the chair so he wouldn't fall. "I told you to stay and you didn't. This is what happens to bad children who don't listen. I thought you knew that by now."

"What about punishing someone who did nothing bad? Just tell me what you meant to do with Kaito, why you left him, bleeding, in the woods a full night away from town, and I will accept any punishment you say." Saguru had tears in his eyes but they were more from anger than anything else. He needed to know or he would never be able to trust his mother again. It was too much and she was refusing to explain this time. She usually said what they had done wrong first.

"I told you, he needed some time away from you." Sharon had no reason to explain herself further to her son. "What would have happened after that, I can't be sure. You ran off and things changed." She wasn't giving him another chance.

"He would have died out there! You could have sent him to a neighbor for a bit or something! You left him in the woods!"

"I left him where he belonged! If he wants to act like an animal, he can very well get treated like on!" Sharon didn't spend much more time going for her yarn that she'd had sitting on the side instead of rope. There was none laying around. "And the same can be said of you."

Saguru's eyes widened. He had been afraid of her leaving him there but Kaito had almost convinced him mother would tell him it was wrong and correct him. She would explain a plan or that she was going to return not long after or something but lost her own way. This, that she intended him to stay there... he was in to much shock and hurt to move when she grabbed him. _"You... that would have been murder."_

Sharon tied him up to the chair as before, getting her cane once more. He had not complied so his punishment would be harsher, as it would if this were Kaito. What she was going to do with both boys from now on, she wasn't quite sure. She'd figure it out later. "I never said I might not have gone back. I don't know _what_ I would have done, and it's not murder if I don't kill him." She pulled Saguru's pants down, trying to leave the impression that he should not disobey her again.

Kaito felt himself actually shaking, pressed up against the closed door and tears in his eyes, for multiple reasons, falling down his cheeks fast and not as silent as he would have liked them to be. Mom didn't care if he died... That hurt, somewhere inside. Was he really that bad of a kid? The others around town liked to play around and explore too. Sure he went a little farther than most but he never meant any harm... Hearing Saguru get hit made him wince, though there was no where to run away to now. Against his better judgment, he did the only thing he could think to do and ran forward to protect Saguru. He promised dad he would and, while Saguru _was_ in the wrong, Mom was too. The cane hit him, though it didn't hurt as badly on top of his clothes. The part that hit his head stung a bit more. " _Stop it..._ " His voice was far too soft, even to his own ears. " _You're both wrong. Can't we settle on that?"_ He just wanted things back the way they were.

Sharon hadn't been sure what to do with Kaito. Going against her gave her the little tilt of the scales that she needed, grabbing his arm as she had Saguru, seeing a repeat of what had only been a few days ago coming. "You do not get to tell me what to do."

Kaito was crying still, trying to pull away from her. The harder he fought though, the more it hurt. He gave up once he was tied down again, just crying. He didn't know what to do anymore.

"Kaito," Saguru gasped, squeezing his eyes shut. "No." He had no idea when mother changed like this but it was not right. It was not what he remembered. He tried pulling at the yarn but he was shaking too much as it was.

Sharon disciplined both boys, making sure she had gotten her point across. They were both once more hers and she'd figure out what to do with them later. Having to get scissors to cut them away from the chairs, she merely lifted both, knowing she was forcing them into an uncomfortable position to sit on them, but having no other way to deal with them as she tied their hands behind their backs. She let out a breath, eyeing them both. "I'll treat you how you act. If you continue to disobey me, you will get more of this. If you're both good, I'll let you go and you can help me around the house. Do you understand?"

Kaito was hurt and tired, his tears never really stopping, though he'd stopped being as noisy about it. His body was shaking slightly and it was all he could do to nod his head, unable to look up at her or his brother.

Saguru kept his gaze on the floor, knowing he would not be able to look at her with any sort of trust again. No matter what she said, he had read enough to know leaving Kaito in the woods, especially hurt and bleeding, was close enough to murder. There was another word for it but he could not recall. His throat was too constricted to say anything. He was very glad he had said nothing to her about Miss Akako because mother was not predictable anymore. He nodded, figuring just a few days and father would send for them. He fully planned on sending a letter to him as soon as he could though, to know what he thought about this, but he hesitantly nodded.

Sharon left both boys alone as she went outside. They all had to think on what they would be doing next.

It took Kaito a while and a few shaky breaths after mom was gone before he was able to speak. " _I'm sorry_." He stayed looking at his legs, the new material not as fasinating as he made it seem to hold his attention so well. " _We shouldn't have come back. I promised dad I'd watch over you both though. I don't know how I'm going to do- do that. But I'm sorry."_

Saguru shook his head and looked over. _"I would have come for you anyway. I just thought maybe I was wrong this time. I wanted to be wrong. You had nothing to be punished for, you should have... I guess you did what I did."_ Saguru was silent for a second before continuing. _"I will write to dad as soon as I can. Someone in town has to know where he headed, maybe he can tell us what to do."_

Kaito was out of it, most of it simply from being overemotional for too long. He shook his head though. " _No, no you can't. He left because we don't have enough food here. If we call him back, it will just make things worse."_

 _"Mother is off. What if she does it again?"_ Saguru wished Kaito would look at him but if he had to do it himself, he would. _"It would be worse not to have you."_

Kaito withdrew on himself a little more. It hurt. He paid it no mind. " _Well... there's a witch in the forest if she does it again. I'll be fine."_

Saguru teared up again and shook his head but it hurt too much to try and shift to reach over. _"I would not be... brother."_

" _There's nothing else we can do."_ Kaito never felt so utterly defeated before. He had _one_ job, and easy job that he had readily promised, and he couldn't keep up one end without failing the other. " _We just need to be good. If something goes wrong, you'll follow me again. I know you will. I'll follow you too, if she takes you anywhere. We'll just wait for dad."_

Saguru took in a shaky breath and nodded with a soft 'alright'. He still wanted to write it all down, in case they went 'missing' again, so father would know where they were and why.

Kaito closed his eyes, resting where he sat, as painful as it was and as upset as he still was. He couldn't fight it when there was nothing there to keep him awake. Mom coming in and tapping him on the shoulder woke him. He saw Saguru's eyes opened as well.

Sharon looked down at her children, making sure both were awake. "Alright. Since neither of you can be trusted you're to stay inside the house. It's already dark out and I don't want you wandering. You're to go right to your room and you are to stay there until I come get you."

Saguru exhaled and nodded. _"Yes, Ma'am"_ He had no idea why but he could not call her mother when she acted like this.

Kaito nodded, nothing to say so he didn't speak. He didn't want to say the wrong thing, even if he did have something to say.

Sharon cut the yarn holding them to the chairs. "I am glad you're both back." And she meant that. This wouldn't be the first time that she'd be sending Kaito to bed with no lunch or dinner, but it would be a first for Saguru, as far as both meals. Maybe that would teach him something. "I'll see you in the morning."

Kaito got down slowly, his body hurting, his leg not making moving any easier once he touched the floor. He gently touched his wrist, walking to the bedroom without any fuss.

Saguru stayed close behind Kaito, tears of pain falling again at moving but Kaito, he knew, was worse off again. He slid a hand in his pocket and blushed, having thought it would be funny for Kaito, now it was all he could do to make it up to him. He slid it beside Kaito with a faint smile. _"I was going to sneak it to you later, to tease you, but I figure you can have it later_."

Kaito smiled, something he hadn't felt like doing and something he thought he wouldn't do for some time to come. He reached out, taking the handle off the toilet that had to have come from the witch's house. He broke it in half and gave the other part to Saguru. _"I did dare you_."

Saguru was almost relieved to see Kaito smile again and it made his lips turn up a little too. " _This evening at the same time_." He could not eat anything at the moment but having it comforted him a little.

Kaito nodded. If it had survived being in Saguru's pocket all this time, it would survive a little longer. He let out a breath and curled in on himself under the blanket. " _Thanks_."

Akako couldn't walk in on the family. For one, she'd have to work magic if she wanted to intervene. That would have gotten her into all kinds of messes. The second was, she hadn't wanted to intervene. He tapped lightly on the window of the boys' bedroom, hoping it would gain little attention. She could have done something with magic now, but she didn't want them to scream either.

Saguru had just started to head for his bed when he heard the tap and looked up. " _Miss Akako."_ He stepped over and wondered if the window would be quiet. He lifted it just a little before speaking. " _I thought you may have left_."

" _I had assumed you were coming back with me after you entered_." Akako was still short and she had to use a bit of magic to make herself float an inch or two. " _Were you coming back with me or not? I took it from the way you didn't come back out that there'd be no plans for me staying here."_

Saguru shook his head, holding the window ledge and wishing he could lay down because it really hurt to stay standing. " _She is... off. It is not safe here. I am sorry that you were left outside but it is better since I never mentioned you and I will not either. We should have waited for father instead but... you should leave before she sees you._ "

Akako smiled like a cat. " _If I don't want someone to see me, they won't see me_." In that second she took the time to actually turn herself into a cat, making room for herself on the window ledge. " _So were you planning on coming back with me or not? I can get you both of here easily. Ever hear stories of creatures stealing children from their beds? It really is quite easy_."

Saguru looked at Kaito, then the door. _"I do not know how far the two of us can go but... will you still help us contact father, please?"_

Akako jumped in the room, going for the bed and sitting, turning mortal again as she did. " _What seems to be the problem_?"

Kaito was startled, backing away a bit. He had heard Saguru whispering but not what he'd been saying or who he'd been talking to. The witch lady just had more and more surprises. Wow, she actually turned into a cat!

Saguru blushed and shifted. How could he tell her they had been punished when the reasons were legit but he knew they were skewed. Just saying they were punished or caned for disobeying was one thing but the fact there was no way he could sit on the deer to return either.

Kaito was confused for a few reasons. Akako being in their room was one of them. Saguru blushing about it was another. The fact that he had been asked a question and wasn't answering was a third on a long and growing list. " _What are you doing here?"_

" _Trying to get the both of you back. I hadn't expected you both to stay after you had spoken with your mother about the prospect of me helping, or your father's location. Now I find you both here with some unknown reason as to why you can't return with me."_

Kaito's head fell a little. " _Mom's... mom's a little different. I think it might be because dad left but I don't know. I'm not sure if we made it worse when we were gone but I told dad I'd look after her and I can't just leave."_

" _Oh? I remember no mention of you planning on staying here if she couldn't be of help. I suppose I can't just steal you away, though I'm sorely tempted to."_ Akako thought about it. She could, and without their consent, but that wouldn't get her any closer to what she wanted and needed. " _Will you staying here actually be doing her any good?"_

She had... had as good as tried to get him killed. Kaito didn't know if his presence would be helping or hurting. His eyes fell again. " _I don't know."_

" _So do you want to leave?"_ she asked again, looking between the two of them. " _Or not?"_

Saguru bit his lip and looked over at Kaito before dropping his head. _"Kaito, I think it may be what she wanted. Maybe she is the one that needs space."_ Saguru clenched his hands, torn between waiting for father and getting them both away from a mother who had surly lost it after father left.

Kaito looked Saguru in the eye. He was just as hurt and scorned as he was. He needed to know something though. " _She's our_ mom _. She needs help. She needs... She might need us. I can't be sure. If we leave, will it really help? If we stay, isn't there a chance we can make this better? I don't know. I mean, I'm not sure I should know, but I do know that... she's my mom. And, as much as I'm scared, I love her."_


	6. In my Skin

**Chapter 6: In my Skin**

Saguru wanted Kaito safe but he had no idea how he could trust her still. "I... I have no idea what to do."

It didn't surprise him that they two of them felt the same way. He looked from Saguru to the witch. They liked it there. It was nice there. Saguru was happy there. Here, mom had punished them both for something that wasn't their fault. Leaving her seemed wrong, but keeping Saguru here seemed just as wrong, and neither of them wanted to leave one another. Kaito took in and let out a big breath. "Well, lets vote. I say we go back to the forest."

Saguru looked at Kaito, knowing he would be better off there and maybe, with them away, mother would calm down. "I am going with you." He sort of wanted to leave a note, either for mother to not worry because he knew Kaito would think she would, or for father if he returned before they found him themselves.

"That was a lot of talk about nothing. Here. We don't want anyone to see you. Meet me past the tree line." Akako went over to both of them, tapping them on the head and watching as a pale white kitten and a black one took their place. She turned herself into a cat after, jumping to the window and leaving.

Kaito blinked a few times, everything much bigger around him and his eyes felt funny. He looked down at himself and then over at Saguru, turning around. He was... a cat! He was a cat! That was so cool! He didn't think cats could grin but he was grinning, feeling the new way his fangs went over his lips.

Saguru almost backed away from the giant cat when it showed his teeth until he realized he was on all fours. He looked at his hands and saw paws instead, realizing he was a cat too. _'This is impossible. We are not witches... '_ He tried to convey it to Kaito but had no idea if he understood or not.

Kaito paced around. He was still him, which he knew well enough because his leg and backside still hurt, but walking on fours was a lot easier than walking on two legs. He tried to say something to Saguru but meowed, his eyes widening. He looked towards the window where the witch went, tipping his head toward Saguru.

Saguru knew it was small but he used his claws to scratch a few words in the floor since he could no longer write on paper. He hoped she saw it or that someone did and let father know. He tilted his head and looked up when Kaito stopped walking around and meowed at him. He nodded, going over to Kaito and trying to resist forcing his tail to stop moving because it was very distracting and he wanted to hold it down. The window was way higher now and even though he knew cats could jump, he had no idea how.

Kaito didn't know and didn't care much what Saguru was doing. He knew they'd have to get out the window though, and the sooner the better. Who knew what mom would do when she found cats instead of them. He looked up, backed up a bit, his brain telling him to lower himself to the floor. He felt his tail swish behind him before he jumped, his front paws making it but his back paws scraping the side of the wall. He hurt and he tried not to meow or whatever it would be if he were to make a noise, scurrying to get himself up.

Saguru winced as Kaito struggled and tried to call out encouragement but it was meows too. He would wait until he was up but he backed up more, thinking a running start would be better since Kaito was always more athletic than him.

Kaito think cats panted but that's what he did once he was up, his heart racing. Being a cat was cool but trying to work out how to be a cat while injured was not. He stared down, his mouth open as he tried to smile, his tail moving a bit behind him as he watched Saguru. He'd call him a chicken if he could or, better yet, a scaredy cat.

Saguru felt his tail going again, swearing it had a mind of its own, but ignored it and ran toward the window, jumping and falling shorter than Kaito had, grateful he landed on all four paws but needing to shake his head. He would do this. He backed up again and looked up at Kaito-kitty. He was going to do it this time, running and snagging the lip, kicking his back legs to move upward.

Kaito didn't know why he did it. He'd seen a few cats before, thought like some of them, but he hadn't picture himself leaning down and biting Saguru behind the neck to help him get up. It was funny to watch and, while he normally would have been laughing, some weird new instinct kicked in instead. He let go of his fur once he was up, hoping he hadn't hurt him, and turned to the brighter world outside. Wow, cats had good vision.

Saguru batted Kaito to thank him but noticed he had looked outside already. He followed Kaito's gaze and blinked. It was amazing, that was for sure. Sight and sound and smell overwhelmed him and he tried to place everything, sniffing and turning his ears to pick out different things. He heard and smelled the chickens in the coop. The grass and woods had their own smells and he could tell that no one but them had been near here lately. There was also a faint scent in the air he did not recognize but he did not like it much and turned his ears back before sneezing.

Kaito tried to laugh. Some weird breaths came out instead. Cats, it seemed, couldn't laugh. Saguru sneezing as a cat though was funny. He wasted no more time sitting up there, as much as he liked the height, and jumped down into the grass. It was a much softer landing than he expected, and the grass didn't leave much of a feeling on him, where it normally would have itched his arms and legs. He looked up at Saguru, bounding off into the woods before waiting for him. It was so nice to be running again, even if it was slower than normal and still hurt a little.

Saguru shook his head and looked back one last time before jumping down, the grass and ground far more forgiving than the hard floor. He stepped a little more gingerly at first, his own inquisitive side wanting to investigate everything, smell each flower again and maybe find those chickens. He kept reminding himself of Kaito and the fact they were both kittens to get him to follow.

Kaito spotted Akako, no longer a cat, just a few feet in. He turned a little, running around her and playing in the grass. He saw Saguru behind him and went at him, jumping at him. This was so much fun.

Saguru expected a lot of things but Kaito jumping at him was not one. The fact his reaction was to move upright onto his feet, or back paws, and try to fend him off meant they ended up almost locked together when he overbalanced. He tried to yell at Kaito but it came out as a loud meow.

Kaito noticed early on that his claws worked just like his fingers. He either used them or he didn't. It was like batting Saguru with his palm and he didn't mind rolling over, pushing at him with the pads of his feet, jumping on and off of him.

Saguru stayed on his side, eying Kaito and batting back when he got close, trying to gauge when to strike but it still went back and forth.

It was no fun messing with someone who wasn't moving. Kaito quickly grew bored with Saguru, pawing him a bit more before turning to the dark woods. There were a lot of noises that were kind of scary and kind of interesting.

Saguru got up and followed Kaito, now he had the advantage, staying low to the ground and creeping quietly. This was payback for the surprise attack earlier. He was about to spring when Kaito's tail waved in front of his again and drew his eye. He jumped, wrapping his front paws around Kaito's tail and nipping it before he realized what he was doing.

Kaito made some kind of weird yelping noise when something pinched him. He had new mass he wasn't used to having. He pulled back, spinning and seeing Saguru, automatically jumping at him and trying to get him by the neck.

"Alright, enough you two." Akako had to chase now the two new kittens. She grabbed them both, pulling them apart and tapped them, turning them back to normal. "It's getting late and even I don't want to go up against the animals here."

Saguru shook his head and blushed. "Sorry, it was hard to adapt." He looked at Kaito and then behind him. "Those tails are distracting." Although the sting from their punishment had come back.

"Hard? That was fun." Kaito had had fun as a cat. "Can we do that again?"

Akako sighed. "Maybe later. Come on now. It's dark." Kids. Well, they'd grow up soon enough.

Saguru shook his head but he had enjoyed it too. He was still puzzling about the bad scent but shrugged it off for now and looked over. "Do we need to ride again?"

Akako tipped her head. "That's what I was planning on. Why? Something wrong with that? You liked it just fine coming."

"No, it was fun, it just, really hurts to sit now." Saguru blushed and shifted, looking at Kaito.

Kaito didn't even want to see a chair for the next few days. He nodded, Saguru looking embarrassed. He'd gotten punished enough that he'd had to share it with others when he didn't want to sit, so it was nothing new to him. "I don't think I could even if I tried."

Akako had to think on this. Standing while flying was dangerous, riding required sitting, and being animals in the woods at night would get the other creatures attentions. "Okay then. How do you feel about rabbits instead? Try not to move too much." Akako went over and touched them both again, making them as small as she could, now in the form of little furry rabbits. The extra fur would give them cushioning as she picked them up and went back to the fawns. She could ride one handed just fine and they were small enough she wasn't afraid she'd lose them.

...

Kaito was human again as they arrived back in the candy house and the witch put them down, changing them back. He looked over his hands. Being an animal was so cool and he wished she'd given him a chance to check out what being a rabbit was like. Maybe he could ask her tomorrow. "Thanks, for bringing us back and all and waiting with. Sorry things didn't work out."

"I wasn't expecting them to. You have more faith in your own kind than I do. It's getting late. Are you both going to be alright?"

Kaito was in a lot more pain human, and had to think Saguru was too, but it wasn't like they could just stay animals... could they? No, he wouldn't be able to talk then. He looked at his brother. "Mom did kind of go far tonight. Are you okay?"

Saguru had not really wanted to comment in front of Miss Akako so he shifted and tried to circle it, replying softly. _"I may use your idea for the next night or two."_

Akako smiled. She wasn't a fool when it came to how humans treated their children, and she did have a good idea. She held up her hands. "If you pull your pants down I can put something on your skin that will make it feel better."

That embarrassed even Kaito but he wasn't sure if he wanted to turn it down or not.

Saguru knew his face was bright red and had no idea if it was more embarrassing to do it or refuse and eat the pillow each morning. He tried to form a word of some kind, maybe suggest she give them it and they could do it themselves but he was really tongue-tied.

Akako grabbed Saguru first, turning him around. "There, now I can only see your back. If I put it on with you as an animal, it won't work as well. Take off yoru pants and both of you cover yourselves up as much as you can. I'll be right back with the ointment."

Kaito watched the witch leave the room and put his hands over the front of his pants, looking at Saguru. "Mom is fine but..."

Saguru cleared his throat and nodded. "Maybe we can ask if she can leave and… I would even be alright with you doing it but, it would be... " There was no word for it, or too many really.

Kaito wasn't sure if he wanted Saguru touching his butt anymore than he wanted the witch. He debated those images for a second before deciding that he would rather her do it and started taking off his clothes. He could at least get himself covered while she was gone instead of having her watch him try and cover himself once she was back. "I'm sure it won't take long."

Saguru really thought this was weird but maybe if he closed his eyes and didn't think about it, he'd be fine. He pulled down his pants, taking his shirt off so he could use it to cover himself.

"Thank you, Miss Akako." Saguru could not face her to say that as he was trying hard not to think about anything, imagining himself as a bunny again and going through the route they had taken so he was not thinking about the cold stuff coming.

"Akako is fine. I'm not _that_ much older than you." Akako put the cream on Saguru's wounds as well. She had to wonder if all humans dealt with their kids in this manner. For witches, it was a little different. That was her own secret though. "There," she said when she was finished. "That should take away any pain or itching. You should both get to bed."

Saguru hastily pulled up his pants. "Thank you again. Good night."

"Goodnight." Akako wouldn't be sleeping for some time, but the kids needed it.

Kaito went over to Saguru once he was dressed, feeling a lot better, if not a bit chilly still. "That's pretty cool. Food and medicine. She's amazing." He was avoiding a more important topic though. "Mom was kind of right but she was mostly wrong. If dad comes back and we're not there or sends word, I don't want to miss him. He might not know how to contact us or that we're even okay. I didn't get the chance to ask mom where he was. I don't want to get her in trouble, but I don't want to be left behind. What should we do, just wait and see if Akako can find him?"

"I did carve out a small thing in the floor so that they know we will meet up with father. I did add 'feel better' to mother, in case you are right that it is because father is gone."

"She wasn't like that before, and I guess I can be a bad kid. I just didn't think I was _that_ bad. With little food and dad gone... She was trying to take care of everything all of a sudden. That would scare me too. I don't understand anything, and it hurts and I'm sacred of her, but dad being back will probably fix everything."

"We both could have earned food together, like before. I agree with you though, father will sort it all out." Saguru tugged a pillow down to the middle of the bed, wanting to give everything time to work. He tugged a piece of it off and started sucking on it, just to calm down a little. "Good night, Kaito."

Kaito was remembering now that they hadn't eaten since breakfast. He didn't think a piece of the pillow was enough. He turned aside from the bedroom and went to the kitchen. Akako had all the food in weird places and it took him a while to find a few apples. The knives were easier and he cut the apple in half, going back to the bedroom and getting in bed, handing Saguru half. "Here. I like candy too but you have to be as hungry as me."

Saguru smiled and accepted the piece. "I actually forgot about it with everything going on." It only occurred to him when he had the pillow in his hand and by then, he had not wanted to get up again. He took a bite and sighed. " _Thank you_."

" _Mmm_." Kaito ate a few bites, tired all of a sudden. He was sure he's slept that afternoon, after they were punished, but it was a long day and only part of the pain was gone. He had to hope dad would be able to find them, or they find him. He needed to get back to mom and make everything better.

...

Saguru shifted and woke slowly. He glanced out the window and realized it was much later than he usually woke. Most of the morning was gone. He noticed Kaito still there and reached over to see if he was awake yet too or not. "Kaito?"

Kaito had woke a few times and gone back to bed, so it was easy for him to notice Saguru getting his attention. He felt tired still. " _Yeah_?" Actually, he felt like he needed a hug. He didn't know why his brother was waking him but he curled up around him, noticing the pain was a lot less than he expected to wake with.

Saguru was surprised but buried himself into his brother's hold, almost ashamed when he started crying into Kaito's chest.

Kaito was still pretty out of it but Saguru crying got him crying too. He had his brother, he had his dad - somewhere - and mom would... get better. Right now it was nice to be back here though. He felt safe here, and he was happy again that Saguru had followed him, that he wasn't alone in this, even if it had gotten him hurt. He stayed there, feeling tired and upset and sore, for a little bit, before backing up and wiping away Saguru's tears with his hand. " _Hey, you okay_?"

 _"I just..._ " Saguru blinked at his brother and sobbed. " _It is all my fault. If not for me, we would have the cow, father would not have had to leave and mother would not be acting this way. I am so sorry_."

 _"If not for you we wouldn't have had milk today. Food was hard to come by and we didn't need milk as much as water and a lot of other stuff. Dad would have left anyway, to help us. Mom's just upset right now, like you are, but she can't cry. I don't want no 'sorry's."_ Kaito had a few tears in his own eyes still, but wiped away what few more Saguru had. " _We're okay and we got to meet a witch. How many people can say that? We have food and shelter and dad and mom are still alive. We didn't starve. That's nothing to apologize for_."

Saguru managed a weak chuckle but could not quite meet Kaito's eye. They had met a nice witch but he wished it had been because they got lost on their own, not because mother could not handle father being gone and cracked. _"I just want things to go back to normal."_

" _Me too._ " Kaito hadn't expected Saguru to mirror his emotions so perfectly. That did cheer him up though. " _And I think they can. We just need dad back and everything will be fine. You and me are can't help her but I'm sure dad can and everything will be fine. We might even be better off if we can tell dad now that we have food, but I don't think we can do that."_

 _"Maybe someone read the scratches and will pass the word on. Otherwise, maybe Akako can get in touch with him like she said."_

"Yeah, we can ask her about that today." Kaito stretched a little, doing so slowly even though he wasn't in pain. "Been morning for a while, huh? We should eat and make a plan today. It'll be nice to stay here but yeah, dad needs to know where we are some how, and we can't tell mom like I thought we could."

Saguru pushed himself up but ducked his head when his stomach reacted to Kaito mentioned eating and tried to keep his mind on the other part of the conversation. "That sounds good, maybe he can talk to mother."

: Kaito nodded. They weren't in trouble and mom was, in her own way. It was better to tell him he needed to come back and help her. They could get help from Akako and at least be able to have food. Kaito got down, offering his hand to Saguru. The apple wasn't much to eat and they had only had breakfast the day before. "Come on, I'm hungry."

Saguru jumped down, shifting to something he could change and that was food. He stopped and pointed at two new piles of clothes. "It looks like she gave us new outfits too."

Kaito looked down at his current ones. They were nice and he liked the vest but they had gone through the forest in them and then slept in them as well. It wasn't enough to make him feel overly dirty but they were guests and smelling like a sow wasn't going to help, so he paused a moment, peeking out the door to make sure the witch wasn't coming down the hall, and changed into the new clothes. He touched them, the fabric smooth. They seemed even nicer than the ones that he'd just taken off. "Now I'm not going to want to go outside and get them dirty. I guess she can always just fix them with magic or something though."

Saguru shook his head as he put the new ones on too. "If I go outside, I am putting the others on." These were far too nice and he would feel guilty treating them that way. He noticed he had red again and wondered if it was his eyes that made her give him this color instead of Kaito.

Kaito was tired of being sad and sick of being scared. He could probably get a roundabout location for dad and look himself. Sitting here wouldn't do him any good, though he had to do that as well to win the witch's favor or they'd still have food issues. His stomach turned, hungry enough that it seemed to turn on itself as he smelled something like bread and spices he couldn't make out.

Saguru made a small sound when Kaito's stomach let them know it was hungry too. He would admit, whatever was being made smelled good. They stepped into the kitchen and saw the witch cooking again. "That smells really good."

"We don't seem to eat much differently, and breakfast isn't as varied, so I figured I'd keep cooking. You're not bad but you don't live here, know where my things are, and you're a boy. I'd rather do it myself." Akako had a knack for knowing the future. She was pretty decent at fortune telling, always had been, and had known when to start cooking. She handed the plates down, still not liking her shorter stature all that much though. "Here. It's done."

Kaito wasted no time getting the first plate. It smelled kind of like the oatmeal, though it looked nothing like it. He waited, bouncing a little on his one leg for the other two to start over to the table. While he was hungry he did have manners enough to know he shouldn't start eating before the other two.

Saguru set his plate down and turned to go to the fridge. "I can pour your drinks if you tell me what you want."

"Thank you." It would save her the trouble. "I have some apple juice."

Kaito put his plate down but he was feeling better than yesterday and a lot had happened to distract him from his leg. It was hurting but not as badly, and he went over to the fridge to have a look himself, ending up grabbing the orange juice to balance out the sweetness he could smell from whatever it was they were eating. "I'm good."

Saguru poured the drinks for himself and Akako, placing them on the table before putting the pitchers away and climbing into a seat.

Kaito settled on eating right away. He was hungry and he needed the food and he felt great once he was no longer ready to kill someone to have at the meal. He let out a breath, slowing his devouring. "I'm sorry about yesterday. Thanks for helping us, again. Can you, maybe, help us find our dad? You said you need to know what he looks like or something, but can we do one better? If you can help us get there, can we find him? We need to talk to him."

Akako didn't eat as fast as Kaito but she did slow down more when he asked her that question. "You're still injured and both of you are only okay right now because you aren't feeling your wounds today. Tomorrow ask me again. Right now neither of you would like the ride if we left."

Kaito was disappointed but he knew that she was probably right and he nodded, pushing around some of his food. It was one day. That didn't seem so bad.

Saguru felt bad that he sort of was the cause of that but he supposed an extra day for them both to 'recover' would be alright. Kaito's foot would also be able to heal better too, so when they saw him, it would be easier to walk. "Thank you, for everything."

"No problem. Since both of you need to recover and sitting wouldn't be good, how about tonight you follow me somewhere. I have something I think you'll both like, and I can keep the animals well enough away once I've had time to prepare."

Saguru looked up again, his curiosity piqued at the thought of something new. "That sounds interesting."

Kaito still had food in his mouth but nodded. Anything a witch had to show them would probably be very cool.

Saguru finished eating and was more than content to grab a book, the same one Kaito had been reading to him the first morning they had been there. It was a reminder of that time, when they had not yet known how far mother was gone. "Hey, Kaito, did you want to finish this with me?"

The book was pretty big and he didn't think they'd finish it, but he nodded away. "Sure. Lay down. I can lay down with you and it will make it easier." There was the main room with the couch and chairs but it was easier to read like that in the bedroom.

Saguru climbed into the bed, using the pillows to prop himself up and laying down so he could read along. Maybe that evening he would resume reading nonfiction but right now, this was nicer.

Kaito read it aloud even though Saguru was looking over his shoulder the whole time. Like before he felt when his mouth was getting dry. Even if it wasn't late in the day, the reading was making his eyes tired and he laid down comfortably on the book, stopping the story from progressing for both of them. "Ah, so much time in doors. I'm dying."

Saguru rolled his eyes and nudged him. "I could have grabbed a book on history but I bet you would have fallen asleep before the first chapter was finished."

"Probably." Kaito got up and rubbed his eyes. "Hey, want to see if Akako will let us run around as cats or something again? I can kind of run like that and it'll be fun." They were in a house with a witch with real magic. Why were they reading a book anyway?

"If I accidentally bite your tail again, remember, it was your idea."

Kaito let out a breath and got up. "Why did you do that anyway?"

Saguru paused and thought before shrugging. "I think I almost attacked mine too. It was something about the way it moved, I think it was annoying or something and wanted to grab it and try to hold it still."

Kaito snorted. "Come on. Maybe we won't be cats then. I want to climb the tree so maybe she can make us squirrels." He didn't really care. The idea of being an animal temporarily again was awesome and Saguru was taking forever.

Saguru jumped down and followed Kaito out the door. "A squirrel? Next you will ask to be bird so you can fly out of them."

"A bird would be cool too. I just don't know if she wants us to do that being hurt." Kaito chuckled. The bracelet was still on him and he had to ask her to leave again, so maybe they could be birds.

Saguru shook his head but with Kaito, his natural ability to climb and jump would help him no matter what animal he asked her to become. He was still a little weirded out by the actual change but he would admit, experiencing the world with the senses of another animal had been amazing and something no one but the two, or three, of them had done. He and Kaito had to be the only two non-witches at least.

Kaito went around looking for Akako but he didn't see her. He did find the door that lead downstairs though and remembered her warning. He knocked on it, not daring to open it. "Hello? Did you go down there? Me and Saguru want to ask you something."

Akako let out a breath, having just started work to keep the forest animals away. She went back up the stairs and opened the door. "Yes?"

"We've been inside an awful lot. Can we go out and like, have some room to explore? And, um, can we turn into animals again?" Kaito's eyes were glowing. This sounded like so much fun.

She stared at them both for a moment. There didn't seem to be any harm with that, but if they came across real animals there would be some confrontation. She finished getting up, closing the trap door behind her. "Sure. I'll go with you. You do know there are actual animals in the forest as well. What, exactly, were you looking to accomplish though?"

Accomplish? Kaito didn't think there had to be something at the end of the road for this kind of thing. He shrugged. "Like I said, we've been inside a lot and it sounded like fun."

Akako looked between them, remember again that they were kids. "Three miles around the house is the new limit." She waited while the spell accepted this. She came up to both of them, touching them lightly on the arm as she smiled. "Then let's have fun." In a second there were three small wolf cubs, her own fur a purple while the other two were very different shades of brown. "Nothing should bother us this way."

Kaito was afraid first. He was expecting to be something like a cat again. Instead he had to calm his heart rate when everything was not only much bigger but much more foreign. He'd never seen a wild animal up close and it looked like that's what he was now. He chased his tail in a circle, looking his body over, and trying not to get overwhelmed by how sweet he house smelled.

Saguru knew this time the room would get bigger and he stayed watching Kaito so he knew what he looked like. It took some of the shock out; enough that he was suppressing a laugh when Kaito actually did start chancing his own tail. He looked forward to getting out of the house with the overwhelming scents in there. He was able to identify almost everything in every room by the different smells, mint, chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter, caramel and a bunch more things he had no name for but know knew by scent. He snorted to clear his nose and headed to the door, ready to leave even if he had to chew his way out.

Akako had to nudge Kaito and dash to get ahead of Saguru. "Both of you still be careful. While most of your brain is still fine and yours, you have a very small part of it that's now like a wolf's, in order to keep you sane and walking correctly." She paused at the door and sat, facing the other two. "You can't blame that part on not listening to me. If there's danger, I'm going to tell you to run to the house, and you do it, even if you can't see anything, okay?"

Kaito padded up to the other two and nodded. He made some weird dog noise when he tried to talk and it made him, apparently, start wagging his tail.

Saguru tried to say yes and it came out sounding like a 'yip'. He nodded his head as well, just to be sure, and wondered how she could talk with an animal mouth.

Akako smiled, tapping the door with her tail and telling it to open. "Have fun." She made sure she got up and out of Kaito's way first, licking Saguru on the nose with her new tongue before he could leave as well, sitting down.

Saguru had started moving too fast to get out of the sweet house when what just happened hit him. He blinked and let himself walk toward Kaito, still trying to figure out if Akako had just licked his nose. Maybe there had been something on it and she was cleaning it off, like he had seen dogs and cats do to each other. It was still strange and he could not help using one paw to wipe at it, just to make sure.

Kaito bounded around in the grass. It was so nice to be free. He almost wished it was one of hands that had been hurt and not his leg, as he ran slower with his back legs, but he didn't care. He rolled over, loving the feel of being outside again and loving even more that he didn't have to care about getting yelled at or getting dirty.


	7. Flames

**Chapter 7: Flames**

Saguru almost sat in the grass to think but between seeing Kaito going insane and his own nose twitching now, he wanted to explore as well and set off. He started with the trees, finding the different scents to be intriguing and memorizing them.

Akako followed behind the bounding children. They were still young enough they could be picked off but a few creatures so it was better to make sure they weren't than deal with more healing.

Kaito noticed Saguru behind him at some point. While he felt the same need to pounce on him as he did before, everything else was so much more interesting. He ran and ran until he didn't think he could run around anymore, only then turning to find Saguru, a strange want to nip at him also there. Time for revenge.

Saguru did not look up as Kaito came toward him, interested in a strange plant that smelled funny, until he felt a sharp feeling and jumped, making a high-pitched sound and turning as much as he could, barking at Kaito and trying to swipe at him.

Kaito let go, trying to bite at Saguru's paw, staying low to the ground.

Saguru turned, lifting a paw and swiping at him again, trying to bop him on the head or something, planning to run if he tried to get him back, suddenly thinking a game of tag would be nice.

Kaito shook his head, Saguru touching his ear feeling funny. He took after him when he started to run, making some weird barking noise while he did. Coming to get you.

Saguru dodged around a tree and ducked under a bush, spinning to watch for Kaito and hope he had hid soon enough that missed him.

Kaito ground to a halt when he couldn't see Saguru anymore. He looked around, sniffing the air. He looked back the way he came. Had he missed him turn somewhere? Saguru was smirking to himself for having hidden and confusing Kaito. He had try hard not to laugh, knowing it would come out as an animal noise and give himself away... or maybe that would be good. He carefully shifted to be ready to pounce and wait for Kaito to come back this way to tag him again.

Kaito's ears perked up and he took a few quicker bounds to where he thought he heard something, ears up as he looked around.

Saguru leapt out, landing both front paws on Kaito before barking happily to inform Kaito that he had tricked him and turning to run again.

Kaito turned, getting up and once more going after Saguru, smiling if he could and feeling his tongue hanging out of his mouth. This was fun.

Saguru dodged around a bush and circled it, knowing the same trick would not work twice but maybe he could go around and come up behind Kaito after he passed.

Kaito didn't let Saguru get out of his sight this time but his brother was slightly faster than him. He supposed it was because they were the same size and a hurt leg probably mattered, but he tried anyway. Usually he'd get up somewhere high and scare him but as a wolf he couldn't do that and he didn't really want to. He was having a lot of fun just running around after him.

Saguru pushed himself harder, trying to get out of Kaito's sight long enough to follow through with his plan but Kaito seemed to have figured him out and was not giving him the time. He looked behind him again, trying to figure out if he had the distance when he turned behind a tree and got tripped up by a root of all things.

Kaito had his chance and jumped Saguru, paws first. He didn't have much time to think what to do so he let his animal brain kick in, nipping at any part of his brother he could get to.

Saguru rolled, batting at Kaito and showing his teeth too, even though he knew it was in play it felt odd and hoped he took it that way. He ducked his head and tried to get a bit of Kaito's fur himself or pin him at least but Kaito seemed to still be more agile than him.

Kaito nipped and yelped and ran around and on top of and under Saguru with his brother messing with him. A few bites hurt like pinches but the pain was gone in the next second that it made it fun.

Saguru never had Kaito's stamina and eventually found himself on his back, paws down, head to the side and realized he had automatically figured out the submissive pose.

Kaito let out a few pants, standing over Saguru. He took his paws off of him and looked at him with his tongue out, waging his tail and barking at him to get up and play some more.

Saguru pushed himself up, shaking his head trying to get himself together enough to stand. He wanted to ask Kaito how he always had a ton of energy but still could not get his mouth to do more than bark, yip or huff.

Kaito knocked Saguru down once he was up and his brother didn't seem up to trying again. Tipping his head, Kaito sat beside him and, for some strange reason that had him grossed out after, licked him near his neck, getting a little fur on his tongue.

Saguru made a new sound in his throat before deciding he was glad wolves did not blush. The wolf, he guessed, liked it but he could not help but hope that he was not licked again. This was twice now. Did he have 'lick me' on his fur or something?

Kaito settled his face down over Saguru's fur he just cleaned, as if that was the reason he had licked him, and let out something like a breath but a lot shorter. His lungs were smaller now. It was such a nice day.

Saguru made a… yawning/huff sound and snorted. The wind had picked up, bringing more smells with it but nothing too attention grabbing. It was more of a peaceful scent and they were right in the sun so he felt warm and comfortable.

Akako walked over to the kids after they finished romping around. She thought they would never run out of energy. She placed herself besides them, against Saguru, and curled up there to take a little nap.

Saguru was sure he was blushing now and with her curled up on one side and Kaito half on him from the other, there was no way he could move. He let out a sigh and resigned himself to being a pillow for his brother this time and, he supposed a friendly, warm body for Akako.

The rest was far more peaceful than the long night's sleep had been. That had given him back what energy he'd lost the day before, not given him enough to get through today. He felt a lot lighter when he stood, looking around the forest again. He wanted access to all of it now but, not being able to talk and with predators and everything, he assumed it was better not to anyway. He had some fun slowly looking around this time, digging and liking the feel of the dirt under his nails.

Saguru watched Kaito digging and sniffing everything and would have shook hi head if Akako were no laying so close. _'At least Kaito is not getting his clothes dirty.'_

Akako felt Saguru shift a tab after Kaito's presence disappeared. She licked him as best she could near his jaw line this time, since she couldn't reach his face. The small part of her she allowed to be a wolf enjoying it.

It took Saguru a moment to realize what was happening and ducked away, looking at the other wolf in surprise and seriously considering asking about that 'lick me' sign. He cocked his head, trying to figure out why he seemed to be the target.

Akako tipped her head, trying to make herself look as cute as he could. She tipped her nose towards him, blinking a few times and trying to look vulnerable, a small whimper instead of speech. Better to make him feel bad and come to her than come on too strong to a child.

Saguru blinked at her reaction and suddenly felt so guilty for making her feel bad. Kaito had licked him too so maybe it was like a wolf version of a hug. They could not exactly hug each other like this. He didn't feel right licking her back but he touched her lightly with his nose.

Akako snuggled into Saguru, licking him once more before happily staring at him and simply staying where she was, seeing if this was an easy way to bridge a few gaps.

Saguru was very confused as to why she was acting this way but it suddenly hit him that she had said she rarely had contact with other humans. True, they were wolves now, but unlike real animals, they had more than instincts. It hit him she must feel lonely too. He smiled to himself when he thought of something he and Kaito could do for her, when they were human and back with father.

Saguru caught his attention a moment but it was clear his brother wasn't getting up so he went off on his own little adventure around the house to see what he could find.

Akako stayed besides Saguru, happy he didn't pull away this time, waging her tail and feeling when it would randomly hit his. Fur was a bit of a deterrent but hopefully by tonight things would be moving forward. After all, she had given them a lot of help and they hadn't returned it.

Saguru worked on his idea, planning a few things and hoping something worked. He was sure he was smiling to himself as more ideas came to him. He looked over at Akako a few times, wondering if she would like the idea and if it would work out before convincing himself it would. He would work every detail out and check with Kaito so nothing like the cow happened again.

Kaito stayed playing around. He didn't know what time it was but he did notice when the forest started to darken. It scared him for some reason and he found his way back to the other two, wary of the trees now even though the light wasn't gone yet.

Akako stood. She hadn't has much time to prepare but she wouldn't need much longer. The other two could eat something quick while she finished the rest. She walked them both back to the house, hearing them yep and snap at each other. Kids. Turning when she got to the door, she shifted back into her smaller body, touching them both on the heads and returning them to their own as well. "Go shower or eat. Make whatever you want. I'll see you in an hour. I never finished the spells I would need tonight."

"Alright." Saguru smiled, grabbing Kaito's hand and leading him to the bathroom so he could tell Kaito his ideas.

"Woah." Kaito had no idea what Saguru wanted but he grabbed him. When they went to the bathroom and his brother closed the door, Kaito was ready to open it again. "I'm not helping you go to the bathroom. You're old enough to do it on your own."

Saguru rolled his eyes. "No, I want to tell you I think Miss Akako is lonely." He quickly explained how she had acted when Kaito was running around and what he thought. "I wonder if we could find her someone close to her real age. You played with more of the kids than I did, do you know if any of them had older siblings?"

"Mmm. Maybe. A lot of the older kids were working or helping in the feilds though. Unless we get them to accept her food I don't think we can ask them." Kaito showed off his teeth. "But we are going to look for dad. I'm betting since he isn't bad the town he went to is doing better than ours and we can look around there when we look for him."

"That was my second option. She will likely be lonely again after we leave but after what she has done for us, we owe her and I think this will be the best way." Saguru grinned even more, almost matching Kaito's.

Kaito stuck his fist out, waiting for Saguru to bump it. "I didn't know how we could pay her back and this sounds like a good idea. Nice."

Saguru shook his head and the silly method Kaito and others used but for once, he returned it without comment. "Good, you can go first and not a word to her about what we re going to do, I think it will be better as a surprise, and just in case it takes a little while."

"If it takes a while," Kaito shrugged. "Dad trusts us and we trust her. Maybe she can stay with us. Show the others witches aren't so bad."

Saguru smiled and nodded, not sure how well mother would take to that thought, but it was a great extra idea. "Enjoy your shower." Saguru stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door, going to find a notebook or something to write all Akako's qualities down. Pretty. Nice. Great cook. He thought for a moment before doing it in more detail, describing her as best he could.

Kaito washed himself, not sure he was really in need of a shower in so little days. He had been running around as an animal though and cleaned his hands and feet. He was comfortable when he gave the shower over to Saguru, getting himself some juice and looking over book titles while he waited for the others. He could get in a little of the one they were reading if Saguru beat Akako.

Saguru washed himself quickly and redressed before heading to the kitchen to get something for dinner before finding Kaito with a couple sandwiches. "Kaito?"

"Hmm? Yeah. What?" Saguru sounded surprised that he was still there for some reason. "Want to get through another chapter or so until Akako is ready?"

Saguru smiled and nodded, offering the second sandwich. "It did not look like you made anything so you can have on of these."

"Oh, thanks." Kaito bit into it, sure he could eat it fast enough that it wouldn't cut more than a minute or so into book reading. "I'm still not used to having whatever I want to eat, whenever."

"I know. I think if we were not reminded, I would forget until I was really hungry or a meal was made for all of us." Saguru crossed his legs and used a pillow to hold the sandwich, deciding they could eat it as a dessert afterwards as a 'clean up' of any crumbs that fell.

Kaito had always been a fast eater, could put away more than Saguru and sometimes even his parents. The sandwich was gone in no time and he finished chewing as he went for the book, opening it up and finding where he had left off.

Akako came up the stairs with a few charms in hand. She wanted to be protected but she always wanted to cast some magic. As simple as it looked there was very little a witch could do with thin air. She found the two kids in the bedroom once more with a book. "Coming?"

Saguru shoved the notebook under the blanket as he sat up, wishing he had heard her so he could hide it sooner. It would give away that he was writing out things about her and she may figure out what they were doing as there was no other reason. "Yes, be right there."

Akako nodded and edited her clothes a bit. It wasn't easy going out in a skirt so she added leggings and tennis shoes.

Kaito folded the book open so he didn't have to look for the spot next time. "We'll continue tonight after."

"Sounds good." Saguru was enjoying these moments and hoped they continued after they were home. He jumped down off the bed and headed for the bedroom door, excited about this, even though his past times in the woods at night were less than pleasant.

Akako waited, slipping a charm bottle over their heads as they made it to the door. "This is to ward off any animals that get too close. Don't take them off. Follow me." She opened the door and stepped outside. They would be walking a bit and she was sure neither would be too happy about it, but she wasn't about to waste magic flying and changing into animals would just distract the kids again.

Kaito liked the fact that the amulet bottle thing warded off animals. He was always afraid of going into the woods at night because of wild animals. Without that fear there was nothing to be afraid of. He did look down a lot more than he used to though, making sure nothing any hunters laid out got him again.

Saguru noticed Kaito looking at his feet a lot and nudged him. "Afraid you may trip as a human?" Saguru smiled before frowning as he thought of something else. "If your ankle still hurts, you should have kept that branch."

Kaito shook his head. "I noticed I don't look down a lot. I stepped in a trap once, it's not happening a second time." He pushed Saguru lightly, towards one of the trees. "Don't you go stepping in one either."

Saguru had never heard him say what had happened and felt bad. At least he knew what the injury looked like when it was a trap now. "Right, I won't." Saguru even crossed his heart so Kaito knew he would keep it.

Kaito laughed, skipping ahead a bit. "I'm looking down anyway and I'm sure Akako will see it first too." She was leading them but where they were going, he had no idea.

Akako stopped when they got to a small pond. She was doing all of this purely for aesthetics. Taking the pouch by her side she held a fist. "This is some spelled blasting powder. I'm better with fire so," She shrugged. "This kind of thing is a specialty of mine." She threw it out towards the water, watching it explode in millions of tiny flames before it touched the surface. From the sparks fly tiny flames, like fireflies, only actual fire. They floated around, over the water and towards them. "Don't worry, they won't burn you."

Saguru's eyes were wide all over again and, at her words, he reached out carefully to touch one of the sparks. "This is incredible."

Kaito was laughing, running around the pond before just stepping into it, catching one of the fires. It was warm but, like she said, it didn't burn him. He didn't dare pinch it and put it out, but it was fun to watch and there were easily more that he could hold in his hands.

Akako twirled her finger, watching some of the flames dance and come towards her. She shifted it, those she called and the ones around Saguru circling, lighting him up in the darkness. She kissed him on the cheek. "Pretty, isn't it?"

Saguru was not sure how to react to that and blushed a little, lit up by the flecks of flame around him. It was hard to not tell her that she could make a lot of friends with this when it was something he wanted to surprise her with but maybe she needed the encouragement now. He nodded and held out his arms to the entire thing. "I bet you could a lot of people really happy. Some may be scared but they don't matter."

No, they don't matter, and right now I like making _you_ happy." Akako went next to him, leaning lightly on him, her cheek near his shoulder, letting him play with fire.

Saguru knew he had been right when he thought she was lonely and held some of the flecks circling him, trying to get tem into a a crown, like they had done with flowers a year ago for Mother's Day. It took a bit to shift them correctly so they landed on her hair. He knew if he said anything, it would ruin their plan to surprise her so he just smiled.

Akako was a bit surprised he was trying to do something for her. She liked flame and fire and told them to stay where they were as he worked with them. It made her smile and she took a few seconds to tell dozens of the other flames to make him a crown, more to float around. She leaned forward to kiss him on the lips quickly. "You look beautiful in firelight."

Saguru was surprised by the extra kiss when he was looking at the flecks and blushed. "You... you are very pretty too."

Akako went further behind him, putting her arms under his own and around him, letting the firelight circle both of them. She put one hand up to his face and lightly stroked his cheek with her fingertips. "You know, you could stay here forever. You, Kaito, even your dad if you wanted. I could make the house bigger. Or," she whispered quieter. "Just you and me. Maybe we can have some fun, like this but better."

Saguru was confused now, not sure what about he holding him was fun and feeling funny about it.

"Oh, come on." Akako moved her other hand that wasn't touching his face, putting it in front of him and creating flame, making into the shape of the animals of the forest, once by one, the house, candy. "I'm a witch. We can do whatever you want. What do you say? Stay with me?"

Saguru watched the flames, mesmerized for a bit before blinking. "This is all great and maybe we can visit but I don't think we would be able to stay here. It would be up to father."

Hm. Very well. Saguru, Kaito, and their father. That shouldn't be too hard. She flicked the flame off her palm, watching it multiply quickly and little flaming animals dancing through the blades of grass around them. "Okay, I'll ask. You two can make you're own choices too. You won't be little boys forever."

Kaito sat down, taking off his shoes and trying to dry out his socks. He snickered at his brother. "You two playing some kind of game over there?"

Saguru looked over and pointed at the tiny flame-animals in the grass. "She was showing off what she could do. What do you think?"

"I don't know," Kaito said with a roll of his eyes. "It looks like you're hugging to me."

"Kaitoooo." Saguru blushed. She may have been a little but he did not have to say it like that.

"Oh, come on, Saguru. What's wrong with hugging?" Akako didn't really care if she was touching him or not but he would help her grow powerful far more quickly if she was able to get someone to love her. She kissed him on the cheek again, hearing Kaito laugh and knowing the other boy would have been far too hard to win over. He was too immature. She let him go, sure she had gotten far enough tonight to have at least swayed him in her direction.

Saguru was still blushing and trying to work out how to say nothing was wrong with hugging without making Kaito tease him more when she kissed his cheek again. Kaito laughing anyway made that a moot point. "Nothing." He was sure he was redder now than before but he had answered at least. _"Just Kaito being silly."_

"There's one more thing I thought you would like." Akako bent down and touched his shoes, a small orange glow appearing around the bottom. "Just don't trip." With that she put her hands on his back and pushed him towards the water. "It only works with your shoes."

Saguru expected to step into the water, thinking that soaking his shoes like Kaito was not something that he would like. He half turned, ready to ask when he noticed his feet were not wet. He looked down, expecting them to maybe be water proof or something only to see he was standing _on top_ of the water instead of ankle deep. "Wha- " He took a step back, wondering if he was suddenly going to drop through the surface before crouching carefully to touch the water, making sure it was still liquid he was standing on. "Wow."

"Cool. Me too, me too." Kaito quickly got his socks and shoes back on, going over to Akako.

Akako laughed quietly, going down and touching his shoes as well. "No pushing now. You've both bathed and it would be uncomfortable for both of you walking back cold. I refuse to dry you off if you mess around."

"Sure." Kaito touched the bottom of his shoe, feeling nothing. He jumped at the water, landing as if it were mud. "This is so cool." He watched the water shift ever slightly as he took steps, the ripples there. Bending down he swirled the water a bit more, feeling it move under his shoes.

Saguru smiled and straightened up, walking a few steps before stomping a few times, making ripples flow out. "Can you believe this? Kaito, watch this." He started moving his feet like he would on ice, arcing them to send water into designs. Basic ones like both together to make a sun, standing on one foot and sweeping the other and calling it a rainbow, he even started jumping to mark out stars for constellations, watching the ripples meet and bounce of each other.

Kaito tried moving and kicking the water too. It was really fun and, while watching Saguru was fine, he liked doing it on his own more. The little flames around them made it bright enough that he wasn't afraid of the dark and there were enough stars out without trees to hide them that it was like dancing by a campfire.

Akako sat and waited, letting the boys play around until they tired themselves out. She could and likely would be up all night. "If you keep this up you'll keep the whole forest awake."

Saguru smiled, feeling worn out anyway as he slowed and the excitement from playing seemed to leave him fairly tired. "I guess we could go now. Would we be able to come back again tomorrow?"

"If you want." She could always show them other, new things, though mostly she was aiming to hook them in so they wouldn't want to leave at all. The their with their parents was screwed up. She could always... make it so their father wasn't interested in being with them at all. That would give her the perfect opportunity. She had plans to make.

Kaito was sad to see the light fade off of his shoes when he stepped back on bank but, as fun as it was, standing on the water gave him no opportunity to sit. He was going to bed the second they got back. It was nice here, and the days boring, but the nights still took what was left of his energy.

Saguru smiled at Kaito and stifled a yawn. "Good thing we read earlier, I think I would be asleep before you finished a plate."

"I don't think I would have even gotten that far in reading." It was so nice not to have any expectations, to just fill time with fun and books. It was something they both liked, be one more so in one aspect and one more so in the other. Witches had a lot of good to go with the bad stereotype.

Saguru still wondered about some of Akako's comments but maybe he could ask father when they reunited with him.

Kaito was slower walking back to the house than walking there. He was tired now and his leg hurt a bit more. He was still careful about looking down and it felt great to finally get to the door and push it open. If beds could talk in a witch's house he was sure it would be calling his name.


	8. World Tilt

**Chapter 8: World Tilt**

Saguru yawned and sat up, noticing it was at least still earlier than it had been the previous day. He climbed down and headed to the kitchen, deciding to make breakfast himself for the three of them. It would not be too complex but he thought it would be a nice way to thank Akako.

Kaito woke up, again without Saguru. He had no idea when his brother started getting up before him. They usually all woke at the same time, or he woke up first, having the guys from around waiting for him. Getting out of bed he was kind of happy that there was always new clothes. It meant he didn't have to bathe. "Hi," Kaito spoke when he heard someone in the kitchen, seeing it was Saguru. "You trying to be a mom?"

"No, I just want to be nice. It is not like we can do much that she cannot so cooking is something I can do, until we figure out about that other thing."

"You can cook? Since when? No better than me." Kaito sat in one of the chairs, not really wanting to help with dinner. He had a lot to think about and yesterday was a nice rest. "Think she can help take us where dad is? I'm worried we'll miss him or mom will get worse."

"Maybe without needing to cook, we can leave sooner. All she will need to do is eat." Saguru shifted a little, breaking a few of the eggs into the pan. "And the first morning here, she showed me how to make these, so there." Saguru stuck his tongue out quickly before he started stirring the eggs from his position on the chair.

"You're going to burn them," Kaito warned. Witch lady wasn't here to watch him and he saw the way she messed with fire. Saguru didn't know how to cook on his own.

"I stirred them the entire time. I am not going to make the same mistake of missing a detail." Saguru had no idea what spices to add but he did pour a little milk in. He stirred carefully but continuously, watching for when it stopped being liquid, making sure nothing stayed on the bottom of the pan long. Now that Kaito had teased him, he was going to prove him wrong.

Kaito went where the juice was and broke off a piece of the shelf. Candy cold was really good. He peeked around at Saguru. "I'll get the drinks then while you burn the food."

Saguru refrained from rolling his eyes and focused on the eggs. As soon as they were all yellow clumps, Saguru moved the pan off the fire, tasting a bit and nodding. Not as flavorful as the other one but still good and they could each add their own salt and stuff. "I told you I would not burn it. Give me your plate."

Kaito went and got plates for the both of them, putting them on the counter. "All yours."

Saguru scooped a third out for each of them, passing one to Kaito. He set the rest aside, turned off the stove, and jumped down, grabbing his plate and going to the table.

"Thanks for making food." Kaito poked at his weirdly shapped eggs but, once he took a bite, they didn't taste so bad. He had them and the juice gone in next to no time. "Think we should knock on the door and let Akako know you made food?"

Saguru had a mouth full of food and a half plate left. He swallowed and nodded. "I thought she might be up soon but you can go ahead while I put hers on a

Kaito got up and went to the door that led downstairs where they weren't allowed to go. He knocked on it. "Hey, there's some breakfast up here if you want it. It'll get cold." He thought about opening it but shook his head, going back to the kitchen when he heard the door behind him open on its own.

Akako rubbed her eyes. That spell took a little longer than she thought and then she was up as she was before the boy's had come over, seeking out what she needed in the forest while she was sure they slept. "Thank you." She followed Kaito in the kitchen, smelling the eggs before she saw them. "You did it all on your own, huh?"

Saguru set a plate of eggs and a cup of juice on the table before going to his chair. "You are a good teacher. It does not have the spices but there is milk in it and it tastes alright as it is."

Akako thought it was bland once she tried it but not bad for a first attempt on his own without knowing what she had put in the first batch or how much. "I can teach you to cook if you'd like. It doesn't seem like something you should learn though." A male cooking was somehow wrong, even if he was human.

Saguru shook his head. "I like learning but I think this is something you are a lot better at." He did not want to admit out loud it was harder than she made it look.

"Hey, my leg feels a lot better." It wasn't all the way better and it still hurt to walk on, but it was much better than it used to be. "Do you think we can go find our dad today?"

"I don't see why not. I'm sure you three have a lot of catching up on. Sitting might still hurt the both of you. I'm sure you haven't noticed it much but it's much more noticeable with a broom. The fawns are too young to go far and anything larger you may fall off of." She smiled and finished eating. "I have a solution though. Saguru, finish eating as well and Kaito you can go wait in the main room, okay?"

Kaito nodded. That sounded fine. It looked like she had an idea too.

Saguru finished the eggs and finished the plate too, leaving no trace. His eyes widened at what she did; it was one trait he thought fit in with genies, not witches, but it would be easy on them, better than a broom at least. "This looks as neat as the seat cushion. Are you going to send it in to the living room to get Kaito like you did before?"

Akako raised an eyebrow, looking from the candy carpet to Saguru. "I was expecting you and I to get on it first."

Saguru had intended to ask to ride in anyway and hearing that that was the plan, he got on. He was a little surprised, finding it similar to standing on the water as it was solid enough to hold him but moved just slightly under him, giving that little bit. He held a hand out to Akako to help her on too.

Akako took Saguru's hand, smiling and letting go more slowly than she should have. She indicated her head, afraid to control the carpet any other way than mentally when were two boys on it too, having it glide into the other room.

Kaito was off the couch and running towards the flying magic carpet. That was so beyond awesome. He hoped on quickly, a grin on his face. "Wow! This is so cool!"

"Thank you... I think." Akako reached over and plucked one of Saguru's hairs, holding it in her fingertips. "Since we don't know where you're father is I'm going to use a spell that searches him out through you. The spell isn't that great, isn't nearly accurate - as its weak and searches him through where he has been and where he might be - but it will get us to the town at least." She glided the carpet out the door, letting the house widen it as they came up on it, and took it to the sky. "If this spell worked right, we'll look like a cloud to anyone watching."

Kaito shaded his eyes, looking over the tree line. He didn't dare stand up but he scooted towards the end. They were going higher and higher, likely to stay away from anyone seeing them too well, and it was giving him a great view.

"Who knows how long this will take. Get comfortable."

Saguru laid on his stomach so he could look out and down at everything without risking falling off by leaning too far over. It was amazing and he could not resist pointing out either cloud formations or the rare animal he glimpsed through the trees.

Akako probably should have expected that an hour flight would have left her with two very talkative kids. She didn't mind that much, picking up more information here and there on them, and circled the carpet when it lead her to a town back the way they came a bit, finding a piece of deserted road to land on. "Okay." Akako looked over her clothes before changing them up slightly and hoping off. "He's somewhere around here."

Saguru was excited about seeing him again, even if he had no idea how to explain how they got there. He decided to ask the first person he could where their father was, figuring it would be easy enough to describe him to someone.

Kaito had seen the town when they were up in the air. It was bigger than home and there were more people out, but he hadn't seen dad. He smiled to Saguru, running off and not caring about his leg. "Come on."

Saguru followed, looking around and trying to figure out who he could ask. "Slow down a bit, we should ask if someone knows him."

Kaito rolled his eyes. "It's the middle of the day and dad came here to work. We'll see him and I'll ask anyone who looks like they might." He wanted to find him faster, and to him, faster meant not stopping until he saw him - not sitting around and asking others.

Saguru huffed, thinking if he was inside for some reason, they would not see him from outside unless they looked in each window on the way by.

Akako simply vanished. She knew neither of the boys were paying her much attention. Hold up Saguru's hair once more, she narrowed in on their father, a spelled necklace dangling from her other hand. It was cruel thing to do to the children, but it would make them hers.

Saguru moved to the side and ran up to the first man that looked like a true local. "Sir, we are looking for our father. He arrived around a week ago."

"Oh, hello boy." The clerk bent over the counter and looked at him. "Can't say I know anyone who looks quite like you and we've been getting a few people coming here, looking for jobs. Of course we've been fine giving them out. Most of the newcomers are all working down at the mill down the ways. You can't miss it. Its a large building full of windows, down the way and a distance from the houses so that the noise isn't distracting. Don't go inside though, it's dangerous. Ask the foreman on duty if you're father's there. That would be my best guess."

"Thank you so much, sir." Saguru ran to Kaito and tugged his arm. "See? That is better than going to every place between here and there."

"That also would have been where we ended up if you hadn't stopped us." Sure they likely wouldn't have gone instead but his way technically would have gotten them there faster.

Saguru rolled his eyes but he could not stop grinning as they made their way to the other end of the town. A few people spotted them and he heard 'hellos' a couple of times. Being polite, he returned the greetings, still smiling. He almost thought he overheard someone say 'going to see their father, I bet,' but he brushed it off as someone else.

Konosuke liked the less labor-intensive job he found himself in his old age. The people who worked in the mill were friendly and more than able to do what was needed. They were never short on labor or, recently, a new face. He hadn't expected two young boys when he was called forward, though their age and almost opposing features made him smile and figured they were the kids that new guy wouldn't stop going on about. "Hi there. What are you both doing here?"

"Hello sir. We came to see if our father, Toichi, was working here and if we could talk to him, please?"

"Sure thing. He's on the floor right now though. Do you mind waiting outside? I'm sure he'll be happy to see you." Konosuke patted the boy on the head.

"Yes, thank you sir." Saguru smiled and looked at Kaito, feeling a little antsy now. As soon as the man left he lowered him voice. "Do you want to tell him about mother or do you want me to?" He did not want to seem like he was exaggerating but at the same time, it would be hard to explain how they came all the way here alone, and why.

Kaito bounced on his heels a little, grinning. "Who cares? I just want to see him right now."

Saguru turned back to the door, his stomach flipping a little. It had been almost a week and seeing father again was something he wanted even more since he had followed mother and Kaito into the woods.

Toichi had no idea what 'visitors' he would have that didn't know he was working and could talk to him later. He stepped outside to see two young boys standing there. "Yes? Where you the ones that wanted to see me?"

"Dad." Kaito hugged his dad, not caring he smelled kind of funny and was dirty. It wasn't like the clothes were really his anyway, or couldn't be cleaned. "Sorry we came to see you but a lot happened. It's all confusing but don't worry, nothing really bad happened."

Saguru took a deep breath, wanting to say something too but seeing Kaito move made him want to hug him as well. He grabbed a hold of his father as well, burying his face in his shirt and holding tight.

Toichi looked down at them blankly and tried to dislodge them. "Dad? Is this a joke?"

Kaito felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up, frowning. "No, why would it be. Dad? Is something wrong?"

"The two of you acting like I'm your dad, for one. Whoever put you up to it, you can tell them it's not funny."

Saguru had been moved back as well and could only look up, feeling his heart break. 'No... no, this is wrong. You are our father. You promised you would send for us after a week when you left. Mother is... she is not acting like herself. Please, father-"

"Stop." Toichi holds a hand up, now glaring at them. "I do not want to hear it. You can take your jokes and use them on someone else. Now, if you want to bother someone, it can be my boss." He almost threatened them with the sheriff but he didn't want to bother Ginzo with a childish prank.

Kaito thought made dad was playing some trick on him. Maybe both his parents went crazy when they parted though. There were tears falling down his cheek and onto his clothes. "Dad, it's not a joke. Don't you remember our house? Mom? We lost the cow and you said you'd come here and try to get more money for us? Don't you even remember coming here for that?"

Toichi blinked at what looked like honest tears from both boys. He shook his head. No matter that it looked like, they were serious, and nothing in his memory said he had kids. "Look, whoever told you this was wrong. Maybe your mom was mistaken." He pulled away, going to see if Jii could handle sending the boys away.

"Please don't go." Kaito wanted to cling to dad and yell at him and call him an idiot and a bunch of things. Some part of him even wanted to hit him until he remembered them again. Another part of him suddenly just felt very alone, even with Saguru by his side. He wasn't his mom or his dad and there was only so much... protection he could feel from his brother. He _needed_ his dad. "Please. You told me to take care of them. I've tried. I can't do it anymore dad."

Toichi looked over his shoulder after calling in for his boss. "Sorry boys, I can't take care of you, I have to get back to work. Maybe Mr. Konosuke can help sort out what's wrong."

Kaito fell to his knees, putting his hands on the ground to hold him up. What had happened? Dad had to have gotten hurt or maybe something attacked him on the way here and it messed with his memory. Whatever it was, Kaito felt like all the hope he had riding on the fact that dad could fix everything was gone. They were alone. His tears wouldn't stop and he heard himself choke on a few breaths but tried to not get hysterical. He was angry but mostly he was just very upset and lost.

Saguru watched their father, the man he and his brother admired the most, turn from them and speak into the building, no doubt to bring back the man. Kaito disappearing from the corner of his eye made him jerk and started his mind going faster. Saguru knew about memory loss in some people but they were hurt in some way and their father looked fine but he did not want to believe that he had really abandoned them either because that would hurt even more. He felt too stiff to wipe his eyes or even kneel beside Kaito. This was all a nightmare, it had to be.

Toichi forced himself not to look at the boys. They were either very good actors, very confused or had been lied to about their dad's identity. He was relieved when his boss returned. "Mr. Konosuke, sorry to bother you like this but could you deal with these boys. I don't really want to involve the sheriff with it but they think I'm their father."

"You aren't?" Konosuke has assumed that these were the two boys that Toichi had been speaking of so enthusiastically. They had fit his description of them remarkably well. "Well, that's a shame. I thought seeing them would have cheered you up. You've been wanting them to see this town since the day you came here."

Toichi gave him an odd look and shook his head. "I never had kids," he said as he passed him and headed back to his work.

Konosuke was surprised that the man so adamant about helping his family was suddenly saying he had none. No work related injuries were reported. It was very out of character for the man he only knew for the past few days, but thought he knew fairly well. He went outside to find the two children crying, making it very unlikely that he had misunderstood something. He bent down near them. "I'm sorry boys, I don't know what to tell you. You're Kaito and Saguru, right?"

Kaito didn't feel much like talking anymore but he nodded his head, swallowing when he did try to speak.

Saguru looked at the man, trying to say this without breaking up too much. "Please, was he hurt or something? Mother is not herself anymore and," Saguru choked on a sob, "I don't think we can go back to her without him."

Konosuke's eyes grew worried. This change had been so sudden. "I don't know of him getting hurt. Are you here with your mother now?"

Saguru bit his lip and looked down, shaking his head.

"Okay, well then." Konosuke let out a breath. He couldn't very well let two young children wander around while their father may be injured and was very much unable to care for them. "Why don't the both of you stay with me for a while? I don't have an extra room but I'm sure I can find space somewhere. Your father is staying with me too. Maybe some time with him will help."

Saguru looked up hopefully. "Thank you sir, we will stay out of your way and help any way we can, I promise. Maybe I can find a book on amnesia, I think that is what it is. Maybe we can fix father."

Two more people was a lot to put up but Konosuke felt he should. He nodded and realized he had the new problem of having children around while both he and Toichi needed to work. "How about we make today a learning experience and you can watch everyone work? You can't go down on the floor though, no matter what, and you need to stay near me."

Saguru nodded. "We helped the baker last week and he had the same rules at first." Saguru managed a small smile and reached down to touch Kaito's arm and help him up. "Kaito, come on."

Kaito wasn't getting up. He didn't want to watch the people in there working. He didn't want to see dad. " _Go on_ ," he spoke quietly. " _I'm not going anywhere. There's not even anywhere to go_."

Saguru knelt and gripped his arm. "We can fix this, together. Do not give up yet. You were the one that was sure mother could be changed, I am just as sure we can change father back too. Trust me. Maybe we can figure out what happened."

"Let me go!" Kaito tore himself away from Saguru. He glared at his brother, finding a place to put his anger. "Just leave me alone!"

Saguru stood quickly, tears prickling again. Now his brother wanted to be alone too, because father forgot them. "I will fix this. It was my fault in the first place, no matter what you said, I will get our family back together."

"Fine, go try!" Kaito was sick of trying. He got to his feet and took off, wanting to get away from the pain. This seemed the best way to do it.

Saguru held a hand out toward Kaito but when he ran off in the past, Kaito usually would run further if he was chased. The mill was easy enough to spot but what about that night, when they all went to their houses? How would Kaito find them. It tore Saguru's heart in two. "Sir, where is your house from here?"

"I live in town with the others, at least a ten minute walk from here. I'm not sure you'd be able to find it on your own." Konosuke didn't know how to help the children nor did he have the ability to chase the one that ran off.

Saguru sighed. That made it harder. Maybe, when they left, he could leave a trail. He could not bear the thought of losing Kaito again. He also did not want to be all alone here either, but Kaito would come back. He used to... Saguru shook his head. He would. He had to. They needed each other but, while Kaito was upset, just like he was, father did not remember them. He needed to remember and Saguru could remind him.

"Come on, boy. I'm sure he won't have gotten far. Let's go inside. Which one are you?" Konosuke put a hand on his shoulder. He knew their names but couldn't remember which was which.

"Huh, oh, Saguru, sir." He looked over his shoulder once more, promising to leave a trail Kaito would be able to follow if they left before he returned. He looked back up at the man and started into the building. "I am sorry about that. It has been a really hard week and, I guess we both thought father would just, make everything better like he used to."

"Don't judge your father too harshly. I'm not sure what happened but the entire time he's been here he's only been thinking about the two of you. Not a meeting goes by that he doesn't mention you both in some way. I'm not sure what happened but I'm sure it won't last too long." Konosuke hoped so at least. The children would have to go to an orphanage if their father abandoned them and they couldn't return home. He didn't have the resources to care for them as his own and he didn't know how to even if he wanted to. He had never had children of his own.

Saguru sniffed and wiped his face, nodding. "Thank you. I-wow." Saguru had never seen a mill like this but it was fascinating. Even after those flying objects and a house made of sweets, this was something real people had done, not a witch with magic.

"Impressive, isn't it? Steel is the way of the future. We use it around here all the time. It holds up better than wood and the railroads are always in high demand of our product." Konosuke was rather proud of what they were able to accomplish. This town had more than just its crops and livestock to rely on for income. Since he was a boy he had dreamed of bending metal the way the blacksmiths would forge steel blades and armor. It was a craft and one he was grateful to be a part of.

"I have read a bit about it but I never thought things were that big. The illustrations never captured this." Unless it was that the people were just that small compared to it. They didn't have a train near them and seeing the size of the metal, it was as long as a tree truck but shining like silverware.

"Everything is bigger in person but it's also dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. If you see, everyone is careful. I've never had a single person injured aside from their own carelessness. The machines help with a lot of the work though molding isn't perfect. It's the workers that help with that. Maybe one day you'd be interested in being an iron worker too?"

"Maybe. I love learning everything I can so I think it may be hard to pick just one thing to do. I know I was not that good with a cow, Kaito was better with her."

"Oh yes, I remember hearing about that. Your father was saying how badly he felt for you boys because you had lost your cow. I'm not much of an agricultural person so I couldn't relate well. You might find you're better in this business as well. You can always go into weapons too. Finding work as an ironworker is fairly simple, and it has a large range of jobs. A few people here used to create pistols and other types of guns."

"Hm, I guess sheriffs and hunters do always need new weapons. They are getting improved too, right. I think last summer, someone said a really fast and accurate gun was being made."

"Everyone's trying to make them more accurate. Traps, to me, are just as effective when hunting game. Guns are just used on people." Konosuke sighed. "People in a cosmic battle to figure out how better to kill something, including other people. I can understand the logic of it though. I was never much into guns myself. It sounds like you know more about it than me." He put a hand on the boy's head. "How about you try your hand at that then? Not all guns are bad and you seem like someone whose time would be better spent improving the world than working with us mediocres here."

"Father said there is no mediocre. You either do good, bad or nothing." Saguru tilted his head up. "You are working hard and you are not bad so you are good and good is never mediocre."

"That sounds like something he'd say." Konosuke smiled, reminiscing a bit. "I'm getting old though. All I can do is teach the new generation and they're getting better and better at it than even I was. I suppose that's the good I'm putting out into the world." He looked down at the boy. "I'm sure if you keep thinking that way, it will get through to him. I know I don't know you well but I feel as if I do. Living with your father, he loves you. I have no doubt in my mind about that. Look, there." Konosuke pointed into the back of the room, where Toichi and a few others were pieces together ladders and windows for homes that were going to be sold elsewhere. "Your father is trying his best too."

"He always does," Saguru muttered more to himself, watching their father bring two pieces together like it was nothing. From this distance, it did look a bit like magic. Everything they were doing did. "That is neat how you line every metal step up and then push both sides on it. It must be easier than trying to do it one at a time."

"We try to make everything as simple as we can. Sometimes it requires more but in most cases this type of forging is fairly easy. It's easy to teach and pass on and I'm sure in time it will get even more simple. I don't look for hires who can simple work, I look for ones who want to work. That's really what makes a quality product. I don't mean to pry but why would you boys come here alone? I had heard that Toichi lived a good distance away."

Saguru opened his mouth, swallowed, than decided if he knew, at least someone would and it was obvious he was close to father too, even after just a week. "Mother kind of, snapped, I think. She acted, different, wrong. She was not herself. We made a friend in the woods and she helped us come here. We kind of lost her when we arrived. I had hoped father would help us repay her too. She was so nice to us, like you are."

"Well, you're all free to stay as long as you need. I'm sure you'll find your friend again soon enough. We're not a small town but we're not a city town. I hope your mother gets well. I'm sure your father would be worried about her too." Konosuke didn't know what else to say to the young boy. He looked upset and he had good reason to be. "I'm not sure what else more I can do to help you."

"You are helping already, letting me see my father and being his friend. Before we go, I want to know if there is a way I can gather some pebbles, so I can leave a trail for Kaito, in case we miss him."

"I have a better idea. I can draw up a map for him and place it on the door. I'm sure he'll see it. A trail of any kind would likely get wiped away with all the road traffic."

"You can use up paper for that?"

"Of course. I have a few sheets whenever I need to give notice when I step out." Konosuke looked back at the boy and away from the workers. "It's ink that's a bit expensive, but not hard to come by. There's no paper at your house?"

"Not usually, we would just remember everything we need to go to town or tell someone if we were going somewhere."

"It's not as easy to do that when there are a lot of workers here. I use it to keep track of when everyone comes in and out, as well an information I may need. I can typically recall where everyone lives but there are some things I need to write down. My old age is catching up with me." Konosuke chuckled. "But I like to think being young at heart makes up for it."

Saguru tilted his head. "I guess... unless my forgetting to tie the cow off just shows we all make mistakes. At least I don't forget things I read, just things I guess I do not notice." Saguru made fists. "I promise to look at every little detail from now on before I take any action."

"That seems a little harsh. Paying a lot of attention to every little thing will wear you out. We are meant to make mistakes, all our life, constantly learning from them. Your father was more saddened that he had to leave home than the cow being missing. I barely heard about the animal compared to hearing about you two."

"Maybe, but I still want to. If I do that, I can make less mistakes and my big brother and my father will never have to leave me again."

"I think your brother was just upset, and you are too. You were crying pretty badly out there, and I know how people are, not liking others seeing them cry. If I had known that something was wrong with your father, I would have said something or stayed with you three. He seemed just fine this morning when he came in."

Saguru blinked and looked up, then looked closer at the people working with his dad as they lifted a completed ladder upright. "Maybe one of them knows if something happened. Like, lifting a ladder hit his head. He may not have complained but it might have messed him up a little." If there was a bookshop around here, he could read more on it.

"I have people report injuries to me so that seems unlikely, and your father never works alone. While I'd like to call him off the floor..." This wasn't all about money and the man had something wrong with him. Konosuke knew he wasn't responsible if the man had gotten himself hurt but it seemed they would need to talk. "Go, wait outside. I'll be right there with him. If he's hurt he shouldn't be working."

"Alright, and maybe Kaito came back." Saguru smiled. "I told you were good." He turned and headed out the door, looking for Kaito and hoping maybe he was somewhere nearby.

Konosuke went down to the floor, careful of the heated metal and sparks. He made his way over to Toichi and tapped the man on the shoulder. "I've been a friend to you since you came here, offered you my home and a job. I need you to come with me now. We need to talk to one another."

Toichi was confused but nodded. "Sure thing. Mind that third wrung, it feels a little loose." He passed the ladder to one of his co-workers and made sure he had it steady before turning to follow his boss outside. "I am a little surprised you want to talk now rather than tonight."

"It seems important. Do you remember anything of our conversation this morning?" Toichi had, once more, spoken about his kids eating breakfast with him and how they were trying to grow up too fast. He wondered if the man even had recollection of it.

"This morning? We didn't talk about much besides... I think I mentioned an idea for a different window design but other than that, just normal things, why?"

"What normal things? Try and remember. We only spoke about the window as we were walking out the door and to the factory. You do remember eating breakfast with me, don't you?"

"Comments on the food itself, how there was milk for the coffee, that we were glad the storm blew over last night. What else was there?" Toichi eyed his boss and roommate, wondering what he was trying to get at.

"Toichi, in all seriousness, we were speaking about your family, as we have since you arrived. I know as much about your wife and children as if they were my own. I think you may have gotten injured on the job. I'm not one to make jokes like this and there are two little boys, one now run off, that are as worried about their father as I am. Did you get injured recently and haven't told me?"

"No. If this is about those two kids, I have no idea who they are when I have none. If anyone was injured, I fear it may be you, to think I have kids."

"Toichi, your wife's name is Sharon. You had two kids with her, twins that look nothing alike, named Kaito and Saguru. You left your home with them to come here and make a living so that you could help support them. You've been working on saving money to buy land out here so your family can move out here. You can ask any worker here." Konosuke waved his hand to the others. "You've talked about your family with all of us."

Toichi stopped mid-step and raised an eyebrow before starting to smirk. "Alright, alright. So you came up with this joke. Is this an icebreaker thing or a hazing because I am still new here?"

"If I hazed every new worker I'd have my day so full I'd never be able to do my job. Do I look as if I'm joking to you?" Konosuke was very worried now. Toichi didn't even have any memory of the conversations they had had. "I'm worried about, Toichi. I think you should take the rest of the day off."

"What? But I need to work. There's that large order we need to finish, not to mention I need to save enough for that deposit-" He did remember that patch of land and that he wanted to buy it but, for the life of him, he could not remember why. He could easily just move into one of the boarding houses.

"Toichi, you're not well. You're taking the day off, that's an order from me. I won't have you working while you're confused. You may hurt yourself or someone else on accident. I'm sure neither of us want that." Konosuke put a hand on his new friend's shoulder. "You need to get your house back in order before you're working in mine again. I know you need the money but maybe you need to look for a doctor first."

"I didn't feel hurt until just now and it's just a headache but... maybe, are you sure you are not pulling my leg?"

"I wouldn't make someone think they were crazy as a joke. Come, I'll walk you home. Your children will be staying with me too. You can talk to them, see if it helps any." Konosuke kept his hand where it was to help Toichi, should he need it. He'd ask the doctor to come see him tomorrow if he still wasn't well.

Saguru looked up when the door opened, seeing Mr. Konosuke come out with his father. His eyes lit up for a moment until he noticed his father had a hand to his forehead. "You were hurt. I knew you would not have abandoned us, I knew it." Saguru's eyes welded up with tears, half joy that his father had not ignored them but still have worry and fear that he was hurt bad enough to think he had no kids.

Toichi blinked at the boy that ran over and stared up at him. He felt, oddly, no connection to the child, even if a part of him didn't like seeing the tears. Maybe he didn't like seeing kids cry at all but, if Mr. Konosuke was telling the truth, he himself had talked about this boy and the other that morning. "Hello again."

Saguru reached up, taking a part of his father's sleeve, and smiled, trying not to cry harder. "I will help you remember, father, I promise."

"Come on, both of you." Konosuke nodded his head towards the road. "Toichi, if you are not well tomorrow I'm going to have the doctor come see you. You may have some injury that I cannot see and he will know better how to treat it." He hoped it was nothing serious, as Toichi likely didn't hit his head hard, if at all. "Saguru, you watch over him today. If anything happens go next door and have them contact the doctor, okay? I'm sorry Toichi, but someone needs to look after you and the boy is free." He smiled, turning forward and leading them back to the house. He was sure Toichi could get there on his own normally, though currently he wasn't as certain.


	9. Pain of Remembering

**Chapter 9: Pain of Remembering**

Toichi heard the boy agree with him and almost wanted to smile. "Well, I never left the others until you came for me so maybe ask them when you get back. See if they remember something I don't."

"I plan on it." Konosuke was sure the two of them would be fine at his house. Memories of his son or not, Toichi wasn't a bad person and he was sure the boy could easily handle any emergency situation with the neighbor's help. "Take it easy though."

Saguru nodded. "I will make sure he does." He looked up and saw his father make an odd face, like he was both confused and smiling at the same time.

Konosuke left both at the house to return to work. "I'll leave a note for your brother if he doesn't come back before I leave. I work most of the day though so you won't see me until eight or so. Take care of yourselves." He didn't feel at all hesitant about leaving the two almost strangers in his house as he returned to the factory.

Toichi looked down at the boy again as they walked in, watching him look around and nodding as he mentioned the location of things for him to find as well as describing Mrs Fujimine, their neighbor. "Her daughter and son-in-law sometimes comes by so do not be surprised if they are there."

"I am sure it will be alright. You should sit or lay down at least. When I have a headache or get dizzy, you would pick me up; that would be hard for me to do."

Toichi chuckled at the bluntness and matter of fact tone the child used. "I guess you're right. I would have farther to fall than you too." Toichi couldn't miss the way the boy laughed and nodded.

"At least not everything is gone." Saguru let him lead the way to the bedroom. "I am really glad we found you, well... Kaito will be too, hopefully in time to help but he will definitely be better when you are."

Toichi sat down on his bed and removed his work boots. "Kaito was the dark haired boy with you. Mr. Konosuke said you were my boys and... Sharon, is your mother." Toichi frowned slightly when Saguru's face darkened. "Maybe you can tell me what happened so I know what I'm suppose to."

Saguru climbed up next to his father, not feeling anything but comfort being near him, even if he shifted a little. "Alright, it started when I talked Kaito into milking the cow one morning. I never tied her off and... "

Toichi was impassive as the child spoke of going to town to work too, to help, both boys only eight years old, coming home to find the cow was gone. Hearing about his decision to leave a week ago and come here for work, the first night when this Sharon took Kaito to the woods and apparently left him there. Saguru following them and staying with the injured brother left him with some admiration that the boys were that close and brave as well. The story got strange after that and the second appearance of his 'wife' made him wonder what had happened to the family Mr. Konosuke said he loved so much and talked about all the time. It was a lot to take in and think about, that was for sure.

Konosuke asked around if Toichi had gotten himself injured on the job. Those working with him had said he had been just fine, though they noticed he grew quiet and more intent on his work shortly before he had come down to call him. A few had even said they'd heard more stories about his children today. It was so sudden that there was no way he was allowing him back to work until he was better. He had hoped the other boy would have returned as it grew dark out but he hadn't and, true to his word, he left a hand-drawn map of the down and placed Kaito's name on the paper, sticking it to the door before he left for the night.

Toichi sat up when the door opened, careful not to budge the young boy sleeping on the bed. The child had ended up crying himself to sleep while apologizing for more things than the boy should take blame for. _"Did the other boy come back?"_

Konosuke shook his head. " _No, and I'm worried. The nights aren't all that cold this time of year but he's still a young boy and it's late. If he doesn't come back we'll take a break from work and I'll see if some of the other won't help me look for him_." Konosuke walked over quietly, the other boy sleeping. " _Seems it hasn't been a good day all around. Are you feeling any better?"_

 _"I still have no memories of them, if that's what you mean. Surprised these boys are alive. Some of it sounds real, until they are lost in the woods, apparently the night I left. The next day, he says they met a woman who helped them and that may be true but the rest is just so far-fetched."_ Toichi shook his head and stood, needing to get something to drink. _"Imagine believing someone lives in a candy house."_

Konosuke was going to laugh and barely stopped himself, a little air escaping and a hand going over his mouth. " _Remember, they are children. They also seem to have been under a lot of stress and did make it all the way out here. They had more than a few reasons to cope."_

 _"I thought that too."_ Toichi smirked slightly at the same thought. He grabbed his cup and started heating some water for coffee. _"He must have really believed it though. He was half asleep and still asked if I could help him find 'the nice witch a boyfriend because she was lonely out there'."_

" _I'm not sure that was all his mind playing tricks on him. The boys both seemed pretty devastated today. They are your children though. I spoke to a few of the workers, to see if you had gotten hurt. They said even today you were speaking to them about Saguru and Kaito. I can't imagine what happened to you but, while I go find the boy with the others if he's not here, I'm going to send a doctor to come see you."_ Konosuke was tired and sat in the chair as quietly as he could. " _It sounded like they hadn't a friend in the world and now we don't even have both children."_

Toichi sighed and leaned on the back of the chair a little. _"Is it crazy that I believe the only reason this boy is here and not with his brother is me, even though I look at him and see a stranger."_

" _For now you see a stranger. We'll see what the doctor has to say tomorrow. You_ are _his father and I think, sooner or later, you'll remember that too. He is here because of you and the least you could do is call him by name."_ Konosuke didn't like hearing 'this boy' when he used to hear a name. It sounded wrong it and it likely hurt the child more than anything else. " _You've changed, Toichi. You've lost more than your memories of your children. You've lost your smile."_

Toichi looked up and raised an eyebrow before shrugging and forcing a rueful smile. _"I guess finding out I have a family I suddenly forgot doesn't leave me much of a reason to."_

" _Don't push yourself. You'll remember, in time. It's just not like you if you didn't. I need to get something to eat. Head to bed. It looks like the boy took that one. You can take mine. I'll figure something out. And don't fight me on this. You're ill. Take the bed."_ Konosuke left no room for argument. He had a couch and that would be fine for himself.

Toichi closed his mouth, knowing already it was useless to try and talk the man out of it. _"At least I remember how stubborn you are."_ He poured the water into a cup and motioned to it, stirring the coffee for himself.

Konosuke ate, reassuring Toichi that he'd be back to work soon as long as the doctor gave him the okay. He was still worried about the other boy out there at night alone, but he was too tired and there was nothing he could do about it. He went to bed, making sure the boy that was in his care was tucked in and sleeping before he dozed off himself.

...

Konosuke rose a bit before the sun did, checking on Saguru. The boy was still asleep. He and Toichi could make breakfast for themselves while he went into town. He took his coat so that Toichi would know he left and went to look for the doctor before asking around for anyone who would help him search for the still missing boy.

Toichi woke a little confused when he was in the wrong bed and a much smaller lump than his boss ever made occupied his. A moment later, he recalled how he had been told he was a father and that was one of his boys. He groaned and rubbed his forehead. "This is going to be a long day." Sounds from next to him caused him to look over in time to see the blanket shift and a small voice call out.

"Kaito?" Saguru reached over, searching for his brother while his other hand rubbed his eyes. He was sure he heard someone talking. He sat up when he realized the bed was different and Kaito had not answered, looking around and spotting his father climbing out of another bed. "Father, I thought... oh." He almost thought it had been a nightmare until he saw the blank look and noticed he had only moved to put his boots on, not come over to comfort him.

Toichi had no idea what to say to the boy or how to act but he knew he wanted breakfast so he motioned to the boy. "Come on. May as well eat before that doctor gets here. "

Saguru nodded and followed him to the kitchen, looking everywhere for Kaito and wishing he had found the house. He told their father some more stories from before he left but kept looking at the door. He almost scared the doctor that came by when he yanked it open and yelled "Kaito!" before realizing his mistake. He watched the man give a few tests and check his father's head and eyes, frowning when he said there did not appear to be anything wrong.

Toichi stood, promising to call on him if he felt any different later. He watched is some amazement when the doctor addressed Saguru and spoke to him about some book that Saguru must have read. It was like every one in town really did know the boy. Saguru asked him to keep an eye out for Kaito and send him here or to the mill if he saw him. The doctor waved that away and said he would bring him himself if he saw him. Saguru thanked the man politely and Toichi was struck by feeling he was missing more than just memories and a smile.

Konosuke spent a good deal of the morning looking for the boy with at least half a dozen others. The woods were no place to be and he couldn't be sure the boy wasn't hiding somewhere in town. It was Yusaku that finally found him, hiding up in a tree. The man was able to climb up and get him down where Konosuke knew he would have hurt himself. Dirty and, it seemed, still angry, Kaito took a while to calm down and talk into going to his house. The others left, going back to work, while he took the boy to his place. At least that was some good news. Hopefully the doctor had something to tell him.

Maybe mom was right, maybe he did belong in the forest. Kaito really didn't want to go back but he was hungry and tired and Saguru would be freaking out. He followed the old man from the other day to his house and stopped outside the door when the man opened it.

Konosuke had a feeling the boy was thinking about running again when he didn't step foot in his house. He had to get back to the job and Kaito needed to bathe. "Come on. My furniture won't bite you."

That kind of ticked him off. He wasn't afraid of going inside the guy's house because of his chairs or something. Indignantly, Kaito walked in, spotting Saguru and dad, some of his energy draining. He needed to get some real sleep. "Hi." He wasn't really sure what else to say.

Saguru's eyes widened and the fear and worry he had pushed aside by convincing himself Kaito could always handle things came rushing back. He had no idea how but he was across the room and hugging Kaito before he could say anything.

Kaito hugged Saguru back, having to shift so he didn't knock him over. He wasn't gone _that_ long and it wasn't like the town wasn't _right_ there. "Jeez, you're getting clingy."

"You idiot, you ran off alone and it isn't like back home when you could be at another's house. Your foot is not all the way healed either and... I am so sorry. The last thing between us was a fight."

"Technically the last thing between us as of now is nothing because you're crushing me." Kaito tapped him on the back of the head. "And, um, we fought?"

Saguru let go and shrugged. "It felt like it. I was afraid you thought I... because I stayed behind at the mill instead of following you."

Kaito laughed. "As if you could ever catch me." He looked over his shoulder at dad, his expression darkening. "And you're just awful though I guess I can't blame you if you have no control but right now I think you're awful."

Toichi felt slightly abashed but all he could do was sigh. "I guess I don't blame you, Kaito." He glanced at Mr. Konosuke. "The doctor found nothing wrong but it seems it was sudden enough that something should come up sooner or later."

"Something negative with your heath you mean?" Konosuke had hoped that the doctor had been able to identify what was wrong with him, not tell them that the worst was yet to come. "Rest. You're off until we know what's wrong wth you. Spend some time with your kids. Knowing them or not, it is their first time here and they're too young to be left on their own again." he turned to the two young children who were still staying close to one another. "Both of you boys look out for him and for each other. No more running off. There's enough food here for lunch and I'll pick up some groceries before go back to work. I'll be late again so don't wait up. Toichi, keep the bed. The kids can have yours. All of you should relax for a while." Konosuke left, hoping everything would be okay.

Kaito felt a little better for some reason when it was just him and Saguru so close to one another and dad off in the background. He yawned into his hand, looking around. "I'm actually pretty hungry now." He had stolen an apple from a woman the other day who had had a few and was walking home, but he figured it was best not to tell them that.

That was something Toichi knew how to do at least. He tilted his head to the chairs and went to fix lunch. "Come in and sit. Would you tell me your own version of the past week, so I can get a better picture for myself."

"Sure but you're not going to believe it." Kaito went into the kitchen though he made sure Saguru was always close by. He sat, wondering if the dad that remembered him would even believe it. He started not a week ago, because that would have been a bit too far, but when dad had come to him that night he had left, after losing the cow. Everything he remembered dad saying and the stuff that had happened after. There was no reason to lie.

Toichi was surprised at the subtle differences while still similar. It made is seem like these were not individual fantasies, but real experiences. Kaito was right that it was hard to believe but it was harder to think they were that detailed in their imagination. He set the plates down in front of the two boys and leaned back, taking in the rest of the story. "I'll admit, I never heard of a nice witch until you two." He wondered if Yusaku would write it down. It would make an interesting story either way.

"First witch I've met so I can't say anything about them in general." Kaito went at the food, not minding so much that dad didn't remember them anymore. He was still dad but a stranger dad, more like a friend of the family if that's the way he wanted it to be. He could take care where dad left off, he was sure, and Akako had to be around here somewhere. Either her or her place could always be their house, and he'd keep his promise to look after Saguru. He didn't care that the one he gave it too didn't remember giving it anymore, or was expecting him to keep it. Some part of him really really wanted dad back, but reality had a hard way of getting to him and he didn't like the taste.

Saguru had not thought to mention some of those things in that detail and he had talked about some of what Kaito missed. It was nice to be together again. All he had to do was get his father's memory back and then see if he could help mother.

Toichi leaned forward and rubbed his chin. "I guess that applies to me too." He decided to direct the stories to less fantastic ones. "Saguru mentioned a story involving a cart, a sheet and a dare."

Kaito laughed. He may not like the way dad was now, he wasn't dad, but he'd been a born storyteller. "To be fair, I was the one dared so I didn't start it." It had been one of the first he'd dragged Saguru out of the house for and in no the dare with him that the other guys had put him up to. The poor cat that had been caught up in it had left it's mark on both of them for over a week.

Saguru blushed, having avoided mentioning that darn cat when he told the story. He had told it as one of those things that his father knew part of anyway, now he had the full story.

Toichi found the added details even more amusing while the omissions were clearly left out on purpose if the-Saguru's reactions were anything to go by. "I had not heard all of that. Did you learn your lesson?"

Kaito shrugged. "I learned I don't like cats."

Saguru looked up in a little bit of surprise when the response to that was the first real laugh he had heard. Almost the same that he had when it first happened. Saguru smiled at looked at Kaito.

Kaito hadn't been trying to make dad laughed, he had only said the first thing that came to mind. He smiled back at Saguru when he turned to him though, facing dad after. "By the way, _I_ was your favorite." If dad didn't have memories, why not get a step ahead of Saguru?

"Hey, that is _not_ true and you know it. Just because you happen to be a few minutes older." Saguru crossed his arms. "We are equal to father."

"Oh, _sure_. That's what all parents say." Kaito turned his hand as if he were whispering to dad, even though Saguru could hear him perfectly well. He nodded to him. "I'm the favorite."

Toichi shook his head as the two boys started going back and forth. It seemed like the teasing was automatic and lighthearted but he was not sure which side he would take or pretend to take, based on thhe topic. He almost wanted to interact with them and was about to suggest that perhaps Saguru was his favorite when he suddenly felt that 'no'. The conflict started giving him a headache again and he rested a hand on his head.

Kaito was pushing Saguru away from him, having hit him and been hit back. They were about to start fighting when he noticed dad had gotten quiet and and closed his eyes. "Dad? You okay?"

Saguru looked over and muttered 'not again' before getting off his chair and going to take his sleeve. "Come on, sit down."

Toichi exhaled but followed the lead. "I'll be fine, just, once in a while, I start getting headaches."

"Usually it happens when I or Mr. Konosuke were telling him about us. I think it may be the memories trying to come back or something like that."

Kaito nodded. He didn't know much about brain stuff and didn't really know anyone who did. He took dad's other hand and helped him lay down. "We'll take care of you."

Toichi rested his head on the pillow, feeling silly that he had to lay down but he knew Saguru would not let up and Mr. Konosuke would hear about it when he returned anyway. The comment 'that should be my job' was on the tip of his tongue when it was shoved away.

Saguru both hated that the man he saw as strong and invincible was in visible pain and loved that maybe something would break though and he would remember something about them on his own. He looked at Kaito with a slight smile. "It usually passes by now. Maybe with both of us here, it will ne longer but that might be good if something comes back."

"Yeah, I know." Dad was in a bed so Kaito got up and sat next to him. He was still dad in there, somewhere. Mom was still mom somewhere insider herself too. They were all in pain, in different ways, and he put his hand gently on his dad's. "Hope you get better."

Toichi's hand turned to grasp the smaller one on its own and the headache intensified. He closed his eyes to ride it out for a few seconds before blinking them open and taking a deep breath, the pain having faded a little but not completely.

Kaito was worried. He's spoken quietly, sure, but dad hadn't heard him. He looked like he was really hurting. He looked down at his dad's hand, holding tighter for a moment. "Dad, do you _want_ to remember us? Tell me the truth." It was obviously causing him pain and, while he didn't know how to help mom without dad, he wasn't helpless on his own. He didn't like seeing his dad hurt.

Toichi felt the struggle, wanting to say yes but were they worth the pain. Another yes but was he sure. Yes but it would bring more pain, he did not need to care for them, he had no attachment to them but everyone confirmed he knew them, loved them, talked about them to nearly make everyone he knew here know them already. _"If I didn't,"_ Toichi gritted out, _"I don't think it would hurt."_

"I'm sorry it does." There were a few tears in his eyes but he was smiling. "We'll take care of you whenever it hurts then." He went on his knees, crawling up to see if he had a fever. Kaito couldn't feel on. He slowly got down, going over to the other bed and getting a blanket, nodding of Saguru to help him with it to cover him up. He went back to sitting on the bed, mussing the blanket up some. "Tell me if you need anything." He couldn't really do much like cook or clean or help with pain, but he could sit there and offer what he could.

Saguru bit his lip as they finished covering him. He had been scared by the severe reaction and almost ran to get the neighbor. He still wanted to, just to see if she knew what to do to maybe help with this, medicine or something. "If it still hurts like this, maybe I should get Mrs. Fujimine. She may be able to help."

 _"No. Stay."_ Toichi bit back the curse at the pain but Mr. Konosuke had yet to lie and he was not going to let a headache stop him. It was not as though he were passed out or anything. He kept his eyes closed, breathing and fighting the feelings and emotions that contradicted themselves inside him.

Kaito wanted dad to feel better and he wasn't sure what the neighbor could do anyway. He had heard about a doctor when he had come here but someone said nothing was wrong. "Maybe I can get you a clothe for your head? I'm not sure if it works on just headaches but its worth a try." They had always given him one when he was feeling bad, but that might have just been because he had a fever.

"I can get that, stay up there." Saguru knew where everything was and quickly filled a small basin with cool water, tossing a cloth in it to soak as he carried it to the bedroom. Whatever had made him forget, Saguru was glad their father wanted to remember. He held the bowl up to Kaito, being careful to not tip it, before talking to their father. "You are the strongest, bravest man anywhere. I know you can do this."

Kaito took the cloth, agreeing with Saguru. Everyone probably thought their dad was the strongest person in the world and he had no one to really compare him to, but in his eyes he really was, no matter what. Kaito put the cloth lightly on his head, being careful with the drips. Dad was hiding it bad and trying to remember them was hurting him a lot. "Sorry we can't do more." He wanted to, badly. Some part of him wanted to send Saguru out there to look for Akako and see if she could do anything to help, but she was probably hiding, being a witch and all, and Saguru looked worried too.

Saguru rested his arms on the bed, putting his head on one arm and rubbing his father's arm with his other hand. He hoped pushing him like this would not be too bad, maybe they should back off a little, let him rest, but he kept seeing him holding Kaito's hand so tight and did not want to stop that.

...

Konosuke came home later that usually. He had been set back this morning and had had to make sure a few people came in early the next day to bring in a shipment to town. He tried to be quiet while he got something to eat, the others in the dark and looking as if they were sleeping. He knew Toichi. If things were better there's no way they man would be in bed. _Too bad_ , he thought to himself. _Maybe tomorrow._

...

Kaito woke up slowly. He was kind of hungry. They had managed to get dad to eat some dinner last night but it had been small and their portions had been small as well. He had gotten far too used to being with Akako and eating whever and whatever he wanted to eat. Dad still seemed to be asleep and he settled back down next to him, still holding his hand. In some small way, with dad usualy responding to him, that told him that his dad was in there somewhere.

Toichi opened his eyes, feeling better than last night at least. He was surprised to find both boys still near him, one, Kaito, curled into his side holding his hand, the other, Saguru, was in a chair beside the bed, leaning mostly on the bed though and resting a hand in his arm. He smiled softly at that and carefully tried to slip from their hold to answer natures call.

" _Mmm._ " Kaito felt his hand shift and opened his eyes, waking up once more as dad was up and getting out of bed. He smiled. " _Morning. Be careful."_

 _"I will."_ Toichi straightened, moving around Saguru but pausing to pick him up and put him on the bed itself. It may be too late to keep him from being sore when he woke anyway but better than nothing.

Kaito looked over, seeing the house owner gone already. His eyes went to the window and the weak light. It was still really early. Taking a corner of the blanket he put it over Saguru, laying beside him but having his eyes opened. Dad was sick and someone had to watch him.

Saguru shifted and yawned before wincing a little. His back was killing him and he was torn between moving to find a better way to lay or staying put to avoid making it worse.

Kaito put a hand on Saguru's head and kind of petted him. Saguru didn't like when he messed it up. " _You okay?_ " He had moved like he wasn't, or was having some sort of bad dream

 _"Yeah, I thought I learned my lesson after you had chicken pox."_ Saguru had fallen asleep in the chair next to his brother's bed, feeling bad since he had been the one to give it to him. His eyes widened and he looked around. "Where did father go?"

"Bathroom. You should go back to bed." Kaito kept petting his hair down, knowing what it felt like to wake up wrong. He'd personally gotten used to it after falling asleep in chairs or on the floor so much. "Here, you can have my spot, I can go sit in the chair. I dont' know if dad wants to lay back down."

Saguru halfheartedly batted Kaito's hand from his hair with a small smile. "I think I would rather eat if we can." He rubbed his back a little, trying to make it feel better.

Kaito got off the bed, letting Saguru get himself up. He could easily eat too, but it felt weird getting food here, which is why he liked dad doing it. It was someone else's house who he barely knew. "I'm up for breakfast."

Saguru moved around as he got up, wincing but it was worth it to possibly eat. He got down, yawning again.

Toichi heard the exclamation as he returned and stood outside the door, hearing the comment about eating and deciding they were all up, they may as well.

Kaito was surprised when he went to go grab an apple or something to see dad getting food. "Hi." Not speaking up seemed a good way to scare him and he didn't want to do that.

Toichi glanced over and nodded to the two boys as they walked in. "Good morning. I'm not sure what you used to eat but this is a usual breakfast for us before going to the mill, you two may need to split it."

"You forgot how much I can eat," Kaito said easily with a smile. "Don't worry about it."

Saguru rolled his eyes. "Do not mind him, he could be mistaken for a human shaped cow with how much he eats." He smiled at his brother and dodged out of his reach just in case.

He was getting predictable. Saguru moved just as he went to kick him. "Yeah, yeah. I'm a growing boy." Dad used to agree with that easily enough.

"Especially if you are to grow as tall as me."

Kaito put his hands on the table, dad getting all his attention. He'd get Saguru later. "Yep. Planning on it. Since I take after you and Saguru takes after mom I want to be taller than him. It would weird if my younger brother was bigger."

Toichi felt a twinge begin as he thought about that, turning and setting the plates on the table. "I thought that must be but never had a description of her."

Kaito nodded. "Yep, just like mom. He's even cooking now. He'd make someone a good wife when he's older."

"I will not. You will be the only guy I cook for and I only cook for you because you cannot do it yourself." Saguru stuck his tongue out at him quickly before turning to father. "Besides, you did good yesterday and today. So it proves fathers can cook too."

Toichi did not want to admit most of it was courtesy of their neighbor and simply smiled.

" _You_ did _cook for Akako_ ," Kaito reminded Saguru with a smirk. Besides, dad had basic stuff here. The owner didn't seem to be married and this seemed normal to him for a dad.

"That was just a thank you for the fire sparks and things the night before." Saguru put a bite of the food in is mouth, blushing a little and trying not to feel guilty that they lost her here. She had been able to track their father here, she had to know they were still there. "I still want to thank her more, she did get us here too."

"Yeah, we never would have found this place on our own," Kaito admitted. They'd probably have had to go back to mom and, being unwell, he wasn't sure what information she could have given them. "She's older though. She can take care of herself until then. Plus, she can probably find us just as easy as she found dad."

Toichi frowned slightly and took a drink of his coffee. "If that's the case, why wasn't she with you yesterday?"

Kaito shrugged. "I don't know. She seemed kind of unsure about coming into town. She didn't even go with us as herself to see mom. She turned into a cat." He looked at Saguru before scanning the room, seeing if he could see a cat or other type of animal. "If she knew we were talking about her though, she'd probably come out if she was here."

"Well, we knew father would be alright with it, maybe we can see if there is anyone else here that will believe there is a nice witch here. Although, she may look our age, instead of seventeen, if she is not an animal of some kind again... " Saguru trailed off, trying to think how to find her to introduce her to anyone.

" _Dad_ would _have accepted her,_ " Kaito chimed in quietly. He looked back at his dad, thinking that he probably didn't believe a word they were saying. " _This first."_

Toichi mentally wondered what the sudden secrecy was about but Saguru looked over at Kaito in confusion, he decided it was about him again... or maybe that mystery 'witch'. Either way, it made him wonder more about her. He had decided there had to have been someone that helped them come this far through the woods. Maybe the person had skills that appeared to be magic, he recalled a man come through town the day before the boys showed up that hypnotized a few people into thinking they were animals. It had been amusing to see and thinking about it, she might know that skill, hence the boys thinking they had been animals.

"Father!" Saguru breathed a sigh of relief when the third call made him sit up and focus on them.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something." Toichi focused on the two of them and his food, finishing about the same time as the- Saguru.

"You're kind of blacking out now and then," Kaito spoke. He wasn't sure if dad noticed but Saguru yelling had scared him. He had wanted to go take dad outside, do something besides stay in bed, but he was afraid he'd get hurt now.

"No, I was just working out a few things. This woman, witch, Akako. Maybe we could find her, if you describe what she looks like, everyone will be on the lookout for her. It seems everyone knows of you and since she helped you two come here, they will likely think as you and want to help."

Kaito put one hand over his other. The whole town looking for a witch... He was sure he had read that in one of those storybooks and it hadn't come out well. "I don't know. If you guys think so, okay." He had to watch dad too. He wasn't okay.

"Well, we don't have to tell them she's a witch yet." Personally, Toichi was sure most would find it cute or something that these kids thought they met a nice witch.

"That might be better, just tell them that she was a nice lady that rescued us. It is true and they can see for themselves how nice she is." Saguru smiled.

Kaito relented, happy now. That wasn't a bad idea. He was still worried about going out with dad but it should be okay. "Come on then. Maybe we can find her and your memories."

Toichi put the dishes in the sink, rinsing and leaving them upside down to dry while they were gone. He smiled at the boys' enthusiasm as they headed out, only feeling headaches on occasion as they spoke to the towns people. No one had seen the mystery woman, a few smiling at the Saguru's question about either a teenager or girl their age. Others wished him well at remembering the boys, a few telling them stories he himself had supposedly told them. Those were what brought on the worse headaches as he tried hard to recall these moments for himself and failed.

Witches were good at disappearing. Kaito couldn't spot Akako anywhere and Saguru was asking everyone else while he looked around beside them. He joined in on the story telling when that came up and thanked some of the friendly people, always making sure he was near dad, holding his hand whenever he looked sick.

Saguru could not hide his disappointment as they headed back, feeling certain they had met every woman and kid here and most of the men that did not work in the mill itself.

"At least everyone will be on the lookout now." Toichi was glad that brought a smile to the boy's face, even if it cause a rwinge of pain

Kaito kicked Saguru. "She took care of us, she can take care of herself. This was fun. We got to be outside. Dad, did you remember anything?"

Toichi redirected his gaze from the now scowling boy and looked down at the other. "To be honest, no." He almost refrained from expending, thinking they didn't need to know but he forced himself to do so anyway. "Every story they told hurt in some way. Half of me tried so hard to believe it and remember and then another half said it was something that happened to someone else."

"Hmm." That was weird. Kaito hadn't met anyone who lost their memories before though. It was like dad wanted and didn't want to remember them.

Saguru spotted the bookstore nearby and grabbed father's hand. "Maybe we can look in there. A lot of books talk about things, maybe there is something in one of them"

Kaito rolled his eyes. "Yeah, _adult_ books. I'm sure the doctor would have known better than that and I can't read those." He could read, and well, but they were still learning bigger words. He pulled dad the other way. "How about we go and just have some fun? Maybe that will make you remember."

Toichi looked between the boys, ot sure what to do. "How about both. We can play? for a little while and see if Mr. Agasa will loan us a few books to look through tonight?"

Saguru pursed his lips but finally nodded. "Fine."

Kaito nodded, getting his way and pulling dad again. "Come on then." There wasn't anywhere around that made good climbing but there was a feild outside of town where they could play tag or he could try and get Saguru and dad to climb a tree with him. His leg was better enough for that.

Saguru followed Kaito's lead, leading father to the field and almost rolling his eyes when Kaito touched him and declared he was 'It' before running. "That was a sneak move." He took off after him, trying to get him back.

Kaito laughed, not going far enough that dad was out of sight. There was a lot of space to roam around in and dad made a good shield.

Toichi stood in what seemed to be the center of a war or words between the two boys. He felt a smile tug at his lips, turning to watch each of them. I was nice to actually watch the kids lay like this.

...

Kaito didn't get tired before Saguru. It made it so that his younger brother was no longer able to even _try_ to catch him. It made him laugh and use dad more as something to slowly move around than anything else. He still didn't want to get tagged. "I win."

Saguru frowned and looked up, touching his father's hand. "Tag. Now neither of us are It." Saguru backed up, circling to get to Kaito and use him as the shield.

Toichi raised an eyebrow and turned, his lip turning up a little at the obvious challenge. "Is that so?"

Eep. Dad was fast because he was a grown up, which wasn't fair. He noticed Saguru pull at him and try to get behind him but that wasn't going to stop him from taking off. If he had to run over Saguru to do it, he would.

Saguru gasped, yelling in some laughter as he took off too the side, tying to avoid their father and put distance between them, grinning when the deeper laughter joined in.

Toichi took off, aiming for the older kid since he had been bragging most of the game that he couldn't be caught. Instead of tagging him, he found his arms grabbing the boy, picking him up and swinging him around. "You just got caught."

Kaito laughed when dad grabbed him, mostly because he couldn't get away with his feet in the air. He was kind of scared when the ground was a lot closer to him, dad's weight still behind him, and found himself in a tighter hold. Dad had his head near his and though he couldn't see his face. His arms where he was holding him were stiff and his breath was really loud in his ear. "Dad?"

Saguru stopped, seeing him fall to his knees. "Father!" He ran over, grabbing his father's arm. The man's eyes were squeezed shut and he had his teeth grit so hard it broke his heart. "Father, breath, please. Kaito, are you alright?"

Kaito nodded, not daring to move. "I'm fine." He found dad's hand and put his own over it.

Saguru was torn on what to do. It took a long time to rouse him last time he was like this, they were in a field, alone, and away from any neighbor that could help them. He wiped his father's face, finding tears, whether from pain or something else, he had no idea. "Kaito, I do not think he will be coming out of this soon... " Saguru knelt beside them and looked at Kaito. "But I do not want to leave you two either."

"Then don't. We can wait." Kaito was fine where was and he wasn't sure he could pull himself away from dad anyway. That, and he wasn't the mom. It wasn't like he wanted or knew what to tell Saguru to do.

Saguru moved closer and leaned against them both, resting his head on Kaito's shoulder and their father's bicep. "Alright. Father, we are right here."

Toichi was fighting the pounding headache and conflicting feelings again. He felt sick for real this time and only the pressure on his hand and arm, coupled with whatever he was holding, grounded him. The pain was so bad that he found it hard to keep tears from leaking out of his eyes, even if they were brushed away pretty quickly. He lost track of time, his mind warring with itself again, finally, shaking and feeling weaker and more tired than he usually was after a full day of work, he forced his eyes open. The dark-haired boy was in his arms and his brother was beside them, staring up at him in concern that changed to relief.

"Father, are you-" Saguru knew he was not alright so he changed his word. "Are you feeling a little better now?"

"Ye-yeah." Toichi slowly loosened his hold on the boy. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Kaito shook his head. "No, I'm fine. You make a nice bed."

Toichi sighed, feeling bed would be nice right now but he doubted he could get up, let alone walk. "I hope you two don't mind staying here a little longer."

Kaito shook his head again. "I don't mind at all. We slept in the forest before and there aren't any sticks here and the grass is really soft." To be fair, Kaito probably could have slept anywhere.

Toichi smiled softly at that but shifted to lay down himself, stretching out a little to make up for the cramped position he'd been in. His legs started to regain feeling and the pins and needles sensation, while mild to what he had gone through, was not pleasant.

Saguru knew what he had to be feeling and started rubbing his father's back to make the pain ease. He smiled at the sigh he received and continued until he heard a murmured 'thanks'. "You are welcome, father." Saguru rested next to him, curled up to his side, smiling that he had not released Kaito, meaning he was clinging to them in this way. "That was fun at least."

"Yeah, and while dad won, I still claim second. You were it _way_ longer than me. You lose." Kaito smiled, looking at what little was in front of him. Dad getting sick or not, that was still the truth.

"That is not fair. You were it last, you should lose."

"Nah uh. Dad's bigger and you cheated by changing the rules and making sure he was closest to me. I still say you lose."

"You kept him between us to make sure I could not get to you. That was the same thing as me getting behind you." Saguru stuck his tongue out at him.

"Still cheating and you still didn't catch me."

Saguru smiled. "Nope, i got father instead and he got you."

"I would have caught you in the next thirty seconds after that then, so I win."


	10. All That Glitters

**Chapter 10: All That Glitters**

Toichi chuckled quietly as he listened to the two of them go back and forth. It was as though both agreed he won but didn't want to lose. He looked up at the clouds in the sky and his eyes automatically locked on an odd shaped one with four thin pieces extending downward and a forth wider one fifth outward with wisps behind it and more wisps from the opposite end. "Hey, what does that cloud look like to you two?"

Kaito looked the clouds, trying to figure it out. He cloud-watched all the time, but just for the fun. He never really spotted many shapes. "Ah... I guess it kind of looks like we have some weird weather." He chuckled. "Maybe bridge in the sky, being held up really high, and swirling off into another world."

Saguru tilted his head as it stared to shift and shook his head. "Kaito, you think the craziest things. It is a running horse, see the mane blowing behind the head, and that looks like you when you were a cat." Saguru pointed to another one, smiling again and feeling better now than he had a few minutes ago.

Toichi smiled and joined in, noticing Kaito made up stories and stuff to the things he saw while Saguru kept it to what the cloud looked like rather than where it was from or what it led to. It passed the time nicely while he felt himself recover, until he heard multiple stomachs growl at the same time, his own included. "Alright, I think it is time to return to town - Maybe stop at Azusa's for something to eat."

"Food sounds great." Kaito could have probably eaten more, even at breakfast and even with dad saying it was too much. He got up slowly, making sure he had dad's hand. Remembering them or not, dad seemed lot more like himself than he had when they first showed up. "Take it easy though."

Saguru stood, grabbing father's other hand to help him up. He was glad he stood all right and stayed beside him as he walked them back to town and into the small eatery.

Toichi smiled at the young woman as he walked in. "Afternoon, Azusa. Do you mind having three more for a late lunch?"

"Of course not," Azusa said with a smile, nodding to them. "I'll be right with you." She needed to finish cleaning the other tables up.

The smell was really good and they sat down near the front of the little shop while the lady working there was at the other end. "This smells great. Did you get more money while you were working? I don't mind eating back at the house." He did, everything smelled sweet here, but dad had come to make money for a house and other stuff like that.

Toichi smiled and tilted his head. "I help her out when she needs it, that defers it." He leaned back, recalling talking to her when he first arrived and giving her a hand before accepting food. It had started as a one-time thing but he knew, until the other day, he had stopped by most afternoons for lunch only to help her with one thing or another. It had turned into a barter system he supposed. It reminded him, he should ask how the roof repairs held up after that storm the other day, with the boys showing up, he had completely forgot.

Kaito was good with that. If dad had the money that was great but it was even better that he didn't have to pay. "Maybe we can do that too. We were working with food before."

"Hm, you could ask her. It wouldn't hurt to get to know the rest of the people here."

Saguru looked over and thought a moment. "Well, cleaning off tables looks easy enough- how does she balance all that on one hand?"

Kaito grinned. "I could do that. I could do it even better."

Azusa giggled to herself as she came over to see what they need, setting the tables before setting their own and coming over to them. "So, oh-taken-one, what can I get all today?"

Toichi shifted, realizing she must not know yet but deciding that he may as well introduce them. "I will take my usual lunch, um, these are my sons, Kaito and Saguru."

Saguru smiled wider than he had since finding out he did not remember them, hearing him say they were his sons. This was the first time he had said that since everyone else seemed to know. "Hi. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too. The really polite one, so you're Saguru."

Saguru blushed at the comment but smirked over at Kaito. "See, I'm the polite one."

Toichi watched them as Saguru turned back to Azusa and asked for just a sandwich and then stifled a chuckle when he added that he would do a job for it.

Kaito wanted something sweet but a sandwich sounded good. He said that he would help Saguru as well if she wanted and, once the lady turned her back, he grabbed Saguru's napkin and balled it up, throwing it at her and turning forward as if he'd done nothing.

Saguru crossed his arms and glared at Kaito. "That was mine and you had better apologize." He reached to take Kaito's so he would have one.

"Hey." Kaito grabbed his napkin back. "You're the one who did it. _You_ apologize."

Azusa shook her head with a small laugh, trying to make sure the children didn't see her smile as she bent down and picked the napkin up.

Saguru huffed and looked over. "I am sorry- that my brother is being a dork."

" _I'm_ sorry that my brother doesn't understand he shouldn't blame things on me. Gives me a bad reputation."

Toichi took a cue from Azusa, noting she obviously did not mind, and reached across the table, lightly tapping both boys. "You may want to stay on her good side if you want any of her pie afterwards."

"Yes, father." Saguru hid his face but smirked over, knowing any sort of dessert would entice his brother.

Kaito shrugged. It wasn't like he hurt her and she didn't seem mad. Saguru would share his pie with him anyway.

Saguru looked over as the woman walked away and then looked at Kaito. _"I am not taking the blame next time."_

Kaito smirked at him. " _You weren't exactly trying to take it this time either. Next time will be the same._ "

 _"I will just make sure you are the one without a napkin, or whatever you use."_

" _You can_ try _but you never win."_ Kaito's smirk grew. " _It'll be fun to watch."_

Saguru nudged him back. "We agree you did that, you just refuse to admit it out loud."

"Exactly, I never said I did it _aloud_ , so we never agreed I did it, and I didn't."

It was true, the stories between the two of them even showed that their views on their mother-his wife were different. Perhaps he could get Mr. Konosuke aside that night and run it across him.

Azusa came back to the family, the boys having a lively conversation still. "Here are your sandwiches. Make sure it all stays on the table."

"Yeah, Saguru," Kaito spoke as he nudged him.

Saguru smiled. "I promise, Miss. Azusa. _I_ will not drop anything."

Azusa smiled to both of them. "Good. We have some juice as well. Do you want some? And what about you, Toichi? Coffee?"

"You know me too well already," Toichi said with a nod at the same time Saguru accepted the offer of juice.

Kaito was good with juice too, though he wanted to try dad's coffee. He drank that a lot. It must be good.

Azusa nodded, bringing their drinks quickly. "You all can have that table as long as you like. We'll be slow for at least an hour or so still."

"Thank you. Oh, I meant to ask how those repairs held up? Any leaks?"

"None at all. Thank you so much for your help. This area would still be drying out if not for you."

"I was happy to help, just let me know if you need any more."

"I sure will. Have a good meal." Azusa turned, not wanting to interrupt the family dynamic any more than she already was. Toichi was taken and he had kids. She was also a bit young for him.

"Hey, I don't have a younger sister, do I?" Toichi looked at the boys, wondering if his current attitude and his actions were because she reminded him of a sibling of his own.

Kaito shook his head. "Don't think so. You and mom never really introduced us to anyone else." It was pretty common not to have older people around, and if mom and dad had siblings, he was pretty sure they could have just gone to their place instead of having to move.

"Hm, alright." Toichi took a bite of his food and decided maybe it was watching these two that made him want a sibling. It was a nice thought, to pick new family members.

Kaito didn't know what brought that on but he picked up his sandwich and started eating too.

Saguru dug into the food, wondering about the conversation and glanced over. Could she be a younger sibling in some way? The sandwich was better than any he had ever had and he decided if Miss. Azusa was their aunt, he was fine with that.

"So, dad, we have some time after this. I guess we're going to look at _boring_ books still, aren't we?"

Saguru looked up quickly and swallowed. "They are not boring and we were going after we played, right?"

"Yes, we can go to the bookstore and I am sure there will be a few that may interest you too." Toichi looked pointedly at Kaito and took a sip of his coffee.

"Yeah, well, Saguru had fun playing. If I don't have fun looking at books it's not fair." Kaito watched dad drink some of the coffee. "Hey... can I try that?" He pointed at the cup.

Saguru tilted his head and made a face but Toichi shrugged. "Why not?" He handed the cup over carefully. "Blow on it so you don't burn your mouth." This would be interesting.

Kaito took the cup carefully, having to shift it a bit in his hands because it was hot. He blew on it a few times before taking a sip. It was still a little hot. He wrinkled his face. "Yuck." Kaito handed it back. "That's gross."

Toichi chuckled and took it back. "Maybe when you get older, you can try it again."

Kaito shook his head. "No thanks." He liked a lot of things way better than what that tasted like, and those were his least favorite drinks.

Saguru could not hold back the laugh anymore. The look on Kaito's face plainly said 'yucky'. "I bet you want to eat a pillow to get the taste out of your mouth, right?"

" _I'd settle for even a normal one,_ " Kaito said quietly. " _Try it."_

"Not this time." Saguru made a face and took another bite of his sandwich.

Saguru had no reason to tease him then if he wasn't even going to try it.

"I'm sure if you work hard enough, you could get enough sugar to make that coffee taste good."

"You make it so I'll like it and then fine, I'll drink it."

"I bet I can figure out a way."

"Okay.. I'm good trying it again if it'll taste good." Kaito wasn't really sure why getting him to like coffee was such a big deal.

Saguru grinned to himself. He would get him to like it once, and then slip him something in it, as payback. "Deal."

"I think I can find another thing you two share. You challenge each other a lot, in one way or another. I guess no one would stand a chance when you two team up."

"Team up? With him?" Kaito pointed at Saguru. "No thanks."

"Hm, you two already have, a few times." He looked between them and saw when Saguru's eyes widened and he looked down a little.

"Well, you are our father. Of course we would team up to help you."

"Oh, well, yeah, that. Duh. That's not really us teaming up. I want you better and Saguru wants you better. It's more of a..." Kaito waved his hands around. "A family thing."

Toichi smiled. "I would think it was the same thing."

Azusa made sure they had some muffins when they left, thanking Toichi again and telling them they could all stop by whenever they wanted. The kids were kids. She'd seen a lot more misbehavior from some of the others in town and she didn't mind these two at all. It was clear they had still been raised well, if not a bit different.

,,,

Saguru was excited after they left, promising Miss. Azusa they would be back to help in any way they could. The bookstore smelled of books and more than he had seen in one place except in Akako's library. He skimmed the newest ones, pulling down a few and flipping through them, reading to himself as fast as he could. There had to be something that explained father's memory loss as well as the headaches.

Toichi was surprised Saguru was reading some of the ones he had grabbed and looked down at Kaito. "He really meant it when he said he would read those things."

Kaito nodded. "Our teacher said we aren't worth teaching. I'm not sure if she meant it for both of us in the same way. It's why we never learned some of the bigger words. The class was far behind us and we just found whatever we found." They probably weren't missing much, being out of school for so long. "You're a better teacher anyway."

Toichi raised an eyebrow at that. "You both sound like Yusaku's boy. I thought he was the only kid that intelligent. I hope I can live up to it still."

"Eh. What do I need books for? I don't want to become a teacher or anything - that's for women - and I'm still a kid so what do I care about learning? I bet I could skip school for years and easily go right back in."

Toichi smiled. "I don't doubt you can pick up things fast but are you sure you want other kids to know more than you?"

Kaito shrugged. "Schooling doesn't really help with every day life besides the basics, now does it?"

"Hm, so you think knowing about angles of triangles isn't needed in every day life?"

"I can guess at angles. Why would I need to know exact stuff?" Things had angle. He'd learned how to measure them but guessing was much easier. It wasn't as if he ever needed that information.

"Ladders are made of angles and if I make one that's off a little bit, it could wear faster and collapse with someone on it. It doesn't seem like much, but I need to check several times to make sure I'm not off."

Kaito folded his arms. "Well who says I'm going to make ladders? If I need to know something for my job when I'm older, I'll have someone teach me. I don't need to know little parts from every job without fully learning any in particular."

"I hope that is the case. It would be nice to only need one skill that will always be in demand. On the other hand, knowing a lot of different things, like I seem to, have let me do a lot of different things. I guess you most know than me about that though." Toichi looked over at Saguru and shook his head. "I will admit medicine is something I know little about, cleaning, binding and treating injuries, sure but internal things, _maybe if I knew, I could fix myself."_

"Well..." Kaito thought about it a second, letting his arms fall to his side. "How about we try the last resort when medicine doesn't work?" He smiled and opened his arms, waiting for his dad to do it too so he could hug him.

Toichi was almost certain this would hurt again, like before, so he mentally steeled himself, making sure he was on one knee, and found Kaito quickly in his arms. It caused an ache in him, increasing as Kaito kissed his forehead. He forced his voice to stay steady. _"Is that going to help?"_

"Mmm," Kaito said with a nod. "You always said it was the best medicine. You don't look like you feel better though." He didn't like hurting dad, but he didn't like being away from him. Kaito noticed an inner conflict start all of a sudden when he was sure that the two were connected. "Sorry."

"Never be sorry for this. Promise me, no matter what, you keep trying, I know I want- _to remember."_ Toichi pulled him closer, closing his eyes to ride out the internal disagreement. He wanted something to break through. Something he could remember and hold on to rather than only remember when his mind was telling him it didn't matter and forget it.

That was just like dad to make him feel better. Kaito hugged him back, wishing he could help him. This was over his head though, like mom was, and he had no one to go to for help this time.

Saguru reread closely, wondering if this was it. 'Traumatic events could result in memory loss in response to the mind's inability to cope.' Maybe it was not an injury but that something happened that made their father's memories of them painful. It explained why it hurt when he tried to remember. Saguru wondered if, with the time they spent in the woods, had someone sent word that they were gone or dead? If he could not stand that, maybe that explained why it was only them that he did not remember. It made some sense since no one else seemed to think anything was wrong it could not be something he saw, or others would have seen it too. He had to talk to the men at the mill.

Kaito still didn't like hurting dad like this and he thought, maybe, if he went back and tried to help mom or explain things to her and get her over here, that was something he could do. He didn't want to go back to here alone though, and he wouldn't bring Saguru with how upset about everything he was too. He'd never have dad make a long trip like that while he was sick either. He just didn't know what to do to help him and stayed there with him while his father calmed down.

"Kaito, father, I think I- not again." Saguru ran over when he saw the two of them, resting a hand on Kaito's arm while he looked closely at their father's face. "Kaito, it was a memory of us, right? Someone wrote in a book, in a margin. I wish I knew who did it, they may know what to do."

"I don't know. Maybe." All he had done was do what dad had done for him before. If dad was that out of it that Saguru could talk over his head like that, he let the tears out of his eyes that wanted to fall. "I don't like hurting him."

Toichi heard the words as Saguru quoted the line and only knew one person who would write in a book like that. He did not want to listen to the voice and pull away but perhaps it was worth it to calm them. "You are not." He pulled away a little and looked at both of them. "I know who you want to ask, it is just a matter of finding him."

Kaito didn't really know what either of them were talking about and looked over at Saguru. He was looking for someone?

Saguru looked up in surprise but smiled. "I think he was right and maybe we can find out what happened to you." Saguru grabbed his father's hand when he held it out and waited for him to stand.

Kaito took dad's other hand like they had been doing, hoping this wasn't hurting him too. That would be like, pain all the time, and he could walk on his own.

Toichi led them out, describing Yusaku to them so they knew what he looked like in case they spotted him.

Kaito thought dad was crazy to think that he'd know one guy from another. A lot of people looked like the guy he was describing. Heck, even dad kind of looked like how this other guy looked.

Saguru kept an eye out, searching to see if he could spot the man. They had no luck that he knew but kept a hand on fathers as he started toward a nice house with a lot of bushes around it.

Yusaku wasn't expecting to see Toichi so soon. He had barely just escaped Yukiko insisting that he write something faster so they could repaint the kitchen. Not wanted to scare them by jumping out of the bushes or anything, he stood and brushed off his clothes. "Hello there. Haven't seen you since the last shopping trip. I heard there was some trouble, but nothing in particular." He'd already met one of the boys and he waved to both of them.

"Ah," Kaito exclaimed, pointing at the guy. "You're the guy who wouldn't let me go until I got out of the tree!"

"I wasn't about to climb up as far as you had now, was I? Besides, I don't think that matters much. What do I owe the pleasure of this meeting? I doubt it's to get another kid out of a tree and I'm not about to be moving down the ladder to cats anytime soon either." He smiled, his eyes on the front door, hoping Yukiko wouldn't hear them.

Saguru found his voice and tried not to laugh. "Sorry my brother caused trouble but are you really the one who wrote in that book?"

"I've written a lot of books and been many places to write them. Was this something this year, last year... a title? I can name a few if you give me the topic."

"Um, it was not written _by_ you. It was a book called 'Mysteries of the Mind'. You wrote that traumatic events could also cause amnesia. I was hoping you could help us with father's memory?"

Toichi winced a little at the bluntness as well as innocence of the statement.

"Ah." Yusaku put a hand on his chin. "You're having memory troubles, are you? You are in a new town and, from what I was hearing, under a lot of stress as it was to provide. I suppose, with what you were already feeling, something here could have possibly thrown you the wrong way like that. From speaking with you though, you seemed fairly steady, not someone prone to this type of thing. I'd have to know a lot more about you to tell you what could have done it. My best advice, if you think that's the problem, is to retrace your steps. Outside help would be better as well, since you likely have no memory of when the problem started. How big of a gap are you missing?"

Toichi sighed. "To be honest, it is in pieces. I remember working before, then coming here. I remember everyone here very well, the only thing I seem to have forgotten was that I had a family and told others. Mr. Konosuke said two days ago, I was telling him stories over breakfast but by that afternoon, when these two showed up, I had no memory of those parts of the conversation, or any conversation. None of my coworkers said they saw me hit my head or receive any type of injury at all. I just-" Toichi looked down at the two boys, partly in shame. "Forgot them."

"I think it is your traumatic event idea because when we say or do something, or he does something he used to, he gets really bad headaches and sometimes collapses in pain."

"Hm." Yusaku's eyes narrowed. "Right when they showed up? Bad timing there. And you're in pain and collapse? That would have to have been some doozy of a mental block you put up to do that. I'm no doctor but I've seen and heard enough. Either there's some reason _you_ don't want you to remember, or you may have something more physical wrong with you. I doubt any doctor here would be able to examine you to the extent necessary. It would be something internal, and explain away the pain far easier. For it to only hurt with them though..." He put his hand into his hair, messing it up on accident. "I just don't know. I've never heard of a particular case like yours. Sorry I can't be of more help."

Kaito's hand tightened on in his dad's. He really hoped he wasn't that kind of sick and they were just making him worse.

Toichi looked at Kaito, hoping he didn't think he really didn't want to remember them. He offered Kaito a smile, squeezing his hand back. "It will fine. I told you, I _do_ want to remember. That wasn't a lie. From what I was told, I doubt anything would make me want to-"

Saguru looked up, gripping his father's hand with both of his own when it started to shake. "Not again."

Yusaku watched, unbiased for a moment, before showing both children off. "Just back up a second. Go stand next door. I'm not asking you to leave." He put a hand on Toichi's shoulder. "Speak to me. Where, exactly, is this pain?"

Kaito really didn't want to but he didn't want to hurt dad _way_ more than he wanted to stay. It wasn't like he was going far and dad seemed to trust this man. He _had_ been looking for him, so he couldn't be a bad guy.

Saguru backed up, staring, almost fascinated, at the way the man acted. It was calm, firm, like the doctor but that man had not asked that, just if he was injured and then looked.

This time, Toichi managed to balance the disagreement and answer at the same time, even though it was difficult. _"Front, it's like there's another voice telling me... "_ Gritting his teeth, he spoke what his mind was thinking. _"not to care. They aren't mine. I want to remember but there's no need. Everyone says they are my kids, my boys. It doesn't matter. It does, I feel it. Forget them and the pain will stop but I want to remember them."_

" _A voice...?"_ Toichi didn't seem the type to have these kinds of mental problems, and all at once it seemed. This wasn't how traumatic memories were held back, and he was very sure now that that was not what was going on. If it were a brain injury, it wouldn't have him hearing voices unless he was hallucinating, which was possible but made no sense when pertaining only to his children. " _Okay, we're going to try something. Talk back to that voice, quietly_." He wanted to help, not get the man thrown into an asylum unless he did belong there. " _Then tell me what happens."_

 _"I will try but I pass out, as they said, and it scares them, Kaito especially."_ Toichi met the man's eyes, hoping he knew he wanted them comforted if it happened again as he took a shaky breath. _"I want to remember Kaito and Saguru, my_ sons _."_ He closed his eyes tightly. _"Increased pressure, it says no, push them away and I will be free of this. To never... never think of them again."_ Toichi shook his head.

Yusaku noticed more of a negative reaction on his own end and decided it was better not to push this particular mental disorder when it was accompanied by physical complications. " _Now to test something. Ignore accepting or not. Talk to the voice about what you do at work, who's there, the weather, the forest, anything like that."_

 _"Miss. Azusa said the repairs I did the other day held fine. The roof weathered the storm better than ever."_ Toichi opened his eyes and looked at Yusaku. "Gone."

"That quickly?" Yusaku had to blink, thinking on this. He couldn't understand how a person's mind could make them feel such intense pain over something. It was against human nature for the body and mind to want to injury itself. It happens, but it's not common, and it had to be something big enough that _someone_ would have noticed. "You're healthy as a horse. Go retrace your steps. Something bothered you, a lot. There are still parts that don't make sense to me. _I do not recommend you constantly being in pain because you are with your children though. Learn your limits until you figure this out,"_ he spoke quietly, just to Toichi, from one father to another. " _You won't pass out that way, and I'm sure they'll understand."_

 _"Only thing, most of the time, it is spontaneous. I never know what will trigger it until it is happening. Just playing tag forced me to my knees. Besides, the last time I apparently knew them was just an hour before they arrived and I was working. I'm on leave, so taking them into the mill could be dangerous, especially if I react again."_

"I'm sorry. I honestly don't know what to tell you. I've never heard of something like this before. Even with mental blocks, your mind wouldn't be telling you the opposite of what you're trying to do, or at least, not at the same time it's causing you pain. This is the first I've come across anything like this." Yusaku wanted to know what was going on himself. While Toichi would make a good research subject, he would never want him in pain while he tested out theories. "I offer you my condolences and good luck. If you need help with anything else I can assist with, by all means, ask."

 _"Just one. If this does get worse, my boys, they are as smart as yours I think. My... my wife, it seems, cares less for them now, according to Saguru. Would you take care of them?"_

That was no small thing to ask, and from a virtual stranger. They weren't more than acquaintances and occasional drinking companions. "I take it you have no family." Yusaku wanted some time to think on this but, even if Toichi had family, it was possible he no longer recalled them. "I will make sure they are both in the best situation possible, whether with me or someone I deem better, if something happens. Know though, whatever mental problem this is, it doesn't seem to be getting worse, from what you've told me. I just stopped you from passing out. If something happens, do what you just did with me. I have no doubt that your boys are going to stay your boys, no matter what, if you do that." He smiled, patting him on the shoulder. "Memories or not."

"Thank you, and, oddly, I do remember my parents, both passed away when I was a teenager." Toichi looked past Yusaku to the boys, smirking a little when he saw a familiar woman pass them each something. "Come on you two, we can see if I can get some answers from some of my co-workers."

"Good, maybe I can get some answers from my husband too. Enjoy those cookies boys."

Yusaku sighed. "I believe you owe me one." He had gotten his help at the expense of giving away his hiding spot. Toichi had better remember that.

 _"Next round on me as well."_ Toichi shooed both boys by, nodding at the woman, thankful to have a smile directed at him this time, and turned to leave with the boys.

"I had no idea he'd be bringing those boys here so soon, that Kaito is a spitting image of him." Yukiko tilted her head, wondering what was different. "That's it! I knew something was different about him. I never figured him for it though."

"Hm?" Yusaku looked back towards Toichi. "Besides some memories issues and his children here, what's different?"

Yukiko giggled. "Nothing big, I just never thought he was the type to wear jewelry. That necklace should have something nice hanging on it at least. It's way to plain to wear that way." She put her hands on her hips, mystery solved, and looked at her husband again. "Now, about that painting?"

"Ah, I noticed that as well. I assumed it was from the kids." If they were short money though, that was hard to believe. It could possibly an heirloom but that didn't make much sense either. While the phone was out, he didn't think a necklace could have a speaker in it, or something that caused him pain, but maybe there was something on it. He wanted to check that out. Yukiko said something and he looked down at her, not sure he could openly run from his wife but he was curious. "What?"

She huffed and shook her head. "The boys would have more taste than that thing. Shin-chan would know to put something on it. Are you going to get to that painting or should I have Agasa try blowing up a paint can like he said you should."

"Sure, do that." Yusaku put his hand on her shoulder with a smile. "I'll be right back." If it was something chemical, or something that was near his that could make him sick, that wasn't good. He didn't understand it, but there were new mysteries in the world that were still waiting to be solved, and problems to be discovered.

"If you see those boys, tell them I'm not a witch either!" Yukiko huffed and turned back into the house. As though good smelling cookies could only come from magic witches. It was an insult.

Yusaku had no idea what his wife said but he figured if it were important, she'd say it again. She always did. "Hey, wait a second!" It was something small but he didn't care. 'Strange' had a weird kind of fascination with him.

Saguru looked over his shoulder, taking another bite of the warm cookie, as the man came running after them. He swallowed, hoping that his slip up had not upset his wife too much. "Sorry if she was angry. I did not mean it as an insult, really."

"Huh?" Yusaku wasn't sure what Saguru was talking about but he'd figure that out in a moment. "Toichi, that necklace, it's new. I heard you were saving your money. Where did you get it?"

Toichi blinked and looked down, a hand going to it. "It... I always had this."

Saguru looked up and tilted his head. "You never showed us. I thought you got it here."

"Yeah, you know, I thought maybe you were seeing a girl or something and hiding a new mom on us somewhere." Kaito hadn't wanted to say that aloud but only women had jewelry, and he was pretty ticked off at mom. Dad's reaction had thrown him off some much that he hadn't really cared about the necklace.

"No, there's no other woman, no one gave this to me, I just always wore it."

Yusaku would have noticed him with a necklace, and if he hadn't, he was certain his wife would have. He held out his hand. "My I see it? I won't ruin it."

"What? No, I... " Toichi looked down, shaking his head and finding he really didn't want to. "It would be wrong."

"Wrong? It's a necklace. A necklace you can't even tell me the origins of. I promise, again, I won't do anything to ruin it. You know I wont." Odds were his hands were clean since he hadn't work with his ink and paper yet.

"It's not that, I just... OK." Toichi shifted and slowly removed the necklace. He held it out but didn't want to let it go at all.

Yusaku was careful about it, barely putting his fingers on the necklace, afraid of what might be on it as well as Toichi's strange behavior towards it. "Okay, I have it. Let it go." He didn't want to break it trying to take it from him.

Saguru frowned when his father seemed to not let go. The change in attitude made him worry that there was something wrong. He reached up, pushing it out of his hand. "Let him check it."

Toichi took in a sharp breath, blinking down at Saguru, then over to Kaito, everything rushing back at once, before dropping to his knees and pulling both of them to him, kissing their heads. "Boys, I am so sorry, I have no idea what- Kaito did you really make Yusaku climb a tree after you?"

Kaito had no idea what was happening but dad was hugging him of own accord and suddenly talking about the tree." Ah… I guess. I mean, I didn't _make_ him." Was dad okay? He was acting pretty weird. Sure dad shouldn't be wearing jewelry but that didn't really explain it.

Toichi chuckled and pulled away just enough to look at them. "I remember you convincing Saguru you were stuck up in one to get him to come up after you, only for him to be unable to get down when you jumped out."

"I never told you that one." Saguru studied his father's face before grinning and grabbing his neck. "You remember."

Did he? Kaito was afraid this was all some kind of horrible joke. He wrapped his arms around dad though and cried, not caring he was doing it in public. He had his dad back for now and hopefully ever and he never wanted something like that to happen again. He had to stay better. He _had_ to.

Toichi nodded. "Yes. Everything, except... " He looked over at where Yusaku was standing with a handkerchief in his hands. "I have no idea how or when I got that."

"I don't think I should give it back to you either." There was something strange with it. He had had to drop it himself because it hadn't made him feel well, simply by having contact with it. "I'm... not sure what's wrong with it." He wanted to figure it out though.

"I don't want it." Toichi shifted his hands to ruffle Kaito's hair and smooth out Saguru's, knowing Saguru preferred that to messy hair. "I would almost call it a cursed thing."

Maybe it was. Kaito believed in magic and would forever now. Curses were probably real and he never wanted dad to look at again if that was the reason behind it all. It was dad. That dad that forgot him never played with his hair like that. He sniffed, wiping his nose and smiling. "Never leave us again."

Toichi smiled and shook his head. "Never."

Saguru could not stop crying as he hugged his father again, the one that remembered him, that knew them. He turned his head slightly to look over at the man still holding the thing. "Thank you so much but, I need to know, how did you even think of that being it?"

"I didn't. My wife pointed out a few strange things about the necklace that I had thought weren't that strange as they sounded aloud." Yusaku had expected something on the necklace. Whatever had made his mind go blank for a second when he held it was unnatural. Maybe the boy was right and it was some kind of curse, though he had never seen one or believed in one in all his travels.

Kaito was just happy to have dad back, and Saguru was hogging him all to himself. He pushed himself back against dad as well again, not really caring who thought what or why. "Who cares about all that? Dad's back."

Toichi tightened his arms on both of them, chuckling and lifting them both up. They still had things to talk about, based on the stories they told him, but right now it was as though he had been a lifetime without them and he was not letting go anytime soon.

"Glad to see that you're better, though I still don't understand how." Yusaku gesture to the necklace. "Mind if I keep this for a little while?"

Toichi shook his head. "Go ahead. If anyone can figure it out, I'm sure it'll be you."

Saguru made a face. "I never want to see that thing near father again."

Kaito still didn't understand it. He wasn't sure how a necklace could make dad forget. He didn't care that he was confused, he just liked dad being there.

Yusaku nodded. "I have to go back now. I think Yukiko was talking to me about something or another." He smiled. "Enjoy your kids."

Toichi nodded and smiled. "I will, just," he paused, knowing how to check things like that and what it did to him, "make sure you're careful if anyone tries putting that on or anything." He turned, shifting the boys a little. The first stop was going to be the mill to let Mr. Konosuke know the news.

Kaito held onto his dad and couldn't keep from smiling. "I'm so glad you're okay. I'm really not ready to be you, dad."

"You won't have to be, just be the big brother again." Toichi bounced Saguru slightly. "I'm sure you two can find some trouble to get up to here, and you do owe Miss. Azusa some time."

Kaito nodded, still smiling. He didn't mind working while dad was too. He could probably get some snacks too. "Oh, but can we still stay here? You don't have a house yet, and mom's..."

"I know. I will send word to her as soon as I can but, as there is no way I would send you there now, I am sure we can make arrangements for the next couple of days while I make up the time away." Toichi didn't want to put them down when he reached the mill so he stopped at the door and grinned. "Someone needs to knock and my hands are full."

Kaito stuck his foot out and kicked at the door, chuckling. "At least I know how to be something other than dull." Kaito stuck his tongue out.

Saguru rolled his eyes at Kaito's action but the sound of their father laughing at it made him smile. "Kaito, you are so immature."

Konosuke smiled brighter. "It seems you're feeling better."

Toichi shook his head and hugged them both tighter. "More than you can imagine. If you ever see me wearing a necklace again, rip it off and burn it."

"Necklace? Sorry, I guess I never noticed something like that." He wasn't with Toichi much since the man wasn't coming to work. "And… you don't like jewelry?"

Saguru shook his head. "That necklace was put on him just before we arrived. It made him forget us. Mr. Yusaku figured it out. It's cursed or something."

"A curse, huh? First I've heard of something like that in a long time." Konosuke had known a man when he was a child, said to be cursed to see evil spirits all around him. He was too young at the time to know if curses were real or if it was some mental condition, but it had left him with a strong impression that they existed out there, even if he couldn't openly express his belief.

Saguru nodded. "If I didn't want it near father again, I would see if, when we find Akako, maybe she could break it."

"Akako?" Konosuke looked at Toichi. "You have another child?"

Toichi shook his head. "No, just these two. Akako was the name of that 'witch' girl that apparently helped these two find me. I was going to bring her up again. I will admit it was a little far-fetched but the story was believable. Now that I know you two, I have a few new questions to ask, but later."

"Sure thing dad. Ask everything. Now that you remember I can tell you everything. I can teach you how to be a wolf." Kaito bit some of his dad's hair, pulling it a bit before letting it go and laughing.

Saguru shook his head. "I still liked the cat best, even being small, the sounds and smells were more varied. The tail is very distracting though."

Toichi dug a finger into them, tickling them a little while speaking to Mr. Konosuke. "I hope to be back to work tomorrow, if you'll allow that."

"Of course. I wasn't sure what was wrong with you and didn't want to risk your health further. As long as you believe you're okay now, feel free. You're only working a half-day though. I think you and you're children are glad to have you back. Take some time with them tomorrow as well." Its what he would have done the first day the kids had showed up if things hadn't turned out the way they did.

"Thank you, I will speak with Mr. Suzuki about the property and see if I can move in sooner so we will be out of your hair." He smiled as the boys were both laughing.

"Hey, dad, stop a second." Kaito wanted to talk but it was hard while he was being tickled.

Toichi had been about to say bye but figured he could wait so he stopped. "Alright, but only because you two sound like you stopped breathing,"

Kaito thought he must have and took in a few deep breaths before speaking. "How about we just go there now? Me and Saguru have already slept in the woods and we could probably borrow a tent from someone so you don't have to waste you're money, right?" He wasn't sure how they'd eat but that sounded like fun.

Saguru tried to squirm away, not quite catching what the adults were saying while he laughed and tried to get away.

Toichi tilted his head. He would still ask him. "I don't want to sneak on and maybe you can try charming him instead, see what he says." Toichi chuckled and nodded. "See you at the house tonight." He turned and headed to visit Mr. Suzuki first.

Konosuke nodded. "Have fun and good luck."

Kaito smiled way more than even he was used to. He was a lot happier now, and now Saguru and he weren't alone. "I'm glad you're back, dad. Now that you are, we're sleeping in the same bed. I think Saguru's going to hurt his back sleeping in the chair again. He'll start walking around like an old man."

"He-ey. At least I don't hog the covers." Saguru stuck his tongue out at him as they walked, or, they were carried.

Toichi was sure he hadn't stopped smiling the entire time and hearing them bicker again couldn't dampen it. He reached the house, hearing Saguru gasp. "I guess I should have mentioned, Mr. Suzuki owns the mill."

"Oh, wow." Kaito hadn't seen a lot of bigger houses. He'd heard there were a lot more in they city, but only from books. This was easily twice as big as the biggest house here. "Big boss."

Saguru felt himself be lowered a little and sighed. It was true, meeting a person in a house this big, standing would be better. He straightened his shirt as soon as he was set down and brushing his fingers though his hair to try and fix it while father knocked on the door.

Jirokichi wasn't expecting company. It wasn't late enough yet to have him worried though, and he didn't fear any of the townsfolk here. They needed him, unlike the people in the city. He answered the door, wondering if he should get a wife at some point. "Hello? Oh, it's you." He remembered the man from a few days ago, looking to buy some land on a payment plan. "Something wrong?"

"No sir, nothing's wrong, just had an unexpected change in plans." Toichi motioned downward. "My boys showed up early and, while I do not have the full asking price yet, I was wondering if there was a way we could set up a little sooner."

"Hm." Jirokichi had to think on that. He barely knew this man. There was also the cost of labor to build any sort of home on the land he was asking for. That left little that would be going to him. Then again, the man was working for one of his businesses, so it wasn't as if he couldn't find him, and he'd know if he wasn't getting paid while Toichi was. That fact that he had his two young boys likely won him over long before he even considered taking anything into question though. He smiled. "That'll be fine. I can help with anything you need, as long as you stick around. Can't very well live on grass now, can you?"

Toichi nodded politely, trying not to smile at the irony. "While Kaito mentioned that already, I think Saguru appreciates your idea more. Thank you so much."

"Yes, with Mr. Konosuke. I just did not want to impose on him longer than needed."

"Thank you, Mr. Suzuki sir. My brother and I will be helping around too, so what I make can go to you for this too."

"I'm going to pay for the food then."

Jirokichi laughed. "Alright. Give me a few days. Instead of paying for just the area, you'll pay to own the whole thing, house and all when I get it up. Good things he's got some helpers with him now. Probably won't be ready for a while. You have a place to stay still, right?"

Saguru smiled wider and nodded. "Yes, sir. We will make sure to pay you back for it." He pulled his hand from his father's for the first time since he remembered them and held his hand out to shake. "I promise."

Jirokichi bent down and shook the boys hand. "You take after your father a great deal. Good luck, my boy."

Saguru smiled, straightening up more and made sure his grip was as 'firm' as he could make it, like father said to do. "Thank you, Mr. Suzuki. You have a good day."

Toichi smiled, knowing that made Saguru's day, or, all things considered, made it even better. "We should head back so we can sort out these two's plans for tomorrow while I'm at work. Thank you again, sir, and good day." He held out his own hand to shake.

Jirokichi shook Toichi's hand as well. "Good luck to you too, and you're welcome. You're a good worker and this town could always use some more people like you."

Kaito smiled. He wasn't much for the hand shaking like Saguru and his dad were, but he'd keep his promise to help out where he could too. He knew he was just a kid and couldn't do as much, and he was going to keep acting like a kid once they had enough money to be okay, but for now he didn't mind. The people here were really nice, probably because they didn't have to worry about food like back home. It kind of made him sad though. He didn't want all his friends and their parents to turn out like mom was.

"You do. Us." Saguru took his father's hand and smiled. He would prove himself, no matter what it took.

Jiro laughed as the family took off. Good workers, good townsfolk, and he was sure he'd get his money back and then some as long as Toichi didn't go looking for another job.

Toichi smiled, grateful for the lighter feel as they left. "So, tell me again about how you two ended up in the woods and about this, Akako." Saguru shifted beside him before talking again.

Kaito made sure to add in things that Saguru liked to leave out, like that he bit his tail. It was only fair.

"That was only because I could not reach my own." Saguru crossed his arms then blushed when he realized he had blurted that out by accident. "I mean... " He turned away to hide his face while trying to look insulted at the same time.

Toichi was torn between wanting to laugh and feeling sick. He knew his boys and could always tell when they were lying. Hearing them talk, watching them now, watching for their tells, he saw nothing that said anything. They were telling the truth and between Sharon's actions disappointing him this witch's actions, it honestly scared him. That necklace that made him forget his boys also scared him and he really hoped, for once, there was a coincidence.

Akako had hoped that they'd come crawling back to her after their father turned them aside but it had proved rather aggravating, watching them try, and more so when a man discovered her charm. Happy children were so much harder to charm but she wasn't about to start all over, either of these two tolerable enough. It was just too bad their forgot about their own accessories. She'd wait until it was dark, when no one was out, and make her move then.

Toichi kept them close that night, distracting them into planning how to help Miss. Azusa while he was writing a letter to Yusaku about the necklace and how his boys knew a real witch and there may be others. He made sure to cheer him up by making sure to use his bed and some chairs to set up a tent like Kaito suggested for them to sleep under that night.

Kaito made sure he had more room than Saguru, pushing him or flat out laying on him whenever his brother got too close to 'his space'. It was fun, it wasn't really hurting either of them, and he had trouble punching his brother back if there was a problem. Saguru always backed down and that meant he won in his eyes. It was cool hiding away from even the house owner this way too.

Saguru rolled his eyes but he grinned sometimes, trying to hide it. It was fun and he could not resist trying to curl the blanket around himself in revenge. A thought occurred to him and he rolled closer, getting laid on again but he said it anyway. "It is so great having him remember us now. It is like we are getting our family together again."

"Yeah, part of it. I hope dad can get mom back together with us too. I mean, she's kind of mean normally, but never this mean. I don't really miss her _too_ much, but I bet dad does." Kaito kept his place atop Saguru, finding it pretty comfortable.

"Hm... maybe Akako can help. Father had that necklace on him, maybe mother changed because of something too." That would be a lot nicer than her changing and being that mean on her own because father had left.

"Maybe. Maybe someone went after mom and dad. I wonder why. Oh well." Kaito shrugged. It wasn't as if there had to be a reason, and whatever happened to dad happened a week after whatever happened to mom.

Saguru frowned and touched Kaito's arm, groaning as he tried to roll over a little. "I am sorry now, if I ever forget you or get really mad or anything."

"Tsh." Kaito elbowed him. "Your too wimpy for me to worry about you getting mad at me for anything. I'm like, with you all the time too, so if you forget me I'm going to forget you."

Saguru grunted when he was elbowed and tried to push him off but gave up and huffed. "Fine, than we never forget each other or the rest of our family ever."

Toichi listened from the door, hearing them talk and deciding to stay up until Mr. Konosuke returned. He would let them go to sleep and stay in the kitchen for now. No one would get through the door if he had anything to say about it.

Konosuke was a bit surprised when Toichi was in the kitchen, staring at him as he walked in. He hadn't stayed incredibly late today and he had been sure the man would have been getting himself reacquainted with his children. "Something wrong?"

"The boys were talking in a tent I made beside my bed. Some of the things they said make me worry. Since we are in your home, I won't hide anything." He explained about his wife's odd behavior, the witch finding the boys and animal experiences. "Add that in to the necklace I was wearing, even Saguru thinks that they may be next." He held up an envelope. "If it's the necklace though, I want Yusaku to know to be even more careful since he has it."

"That's a lot to take in." Konosuke had sat beside him while Toichi was telling his story. "Even given what you were telling me earlier. I'm not sure what to do. The letter, what's that for?"

"I want everything written down in case one or both of us are effected. I don't really trust word of mouth after what happened but hopefully this will give a way out if any of us start acting strange again."

Konosuke nodded. He had no close friends but he was close with his workers. If something was wrong with him they would likely end up at his house at some point. He wasn't sure how well he'd take Toichi's written word but the man had already had something happen to him, and he may accept his own word. "I'll keep my eyes open, while I'm awake in any case." He stood. "Now I need to get some sleep though. You should do the same. I doubt your boys fell asleep while you have been awake."

Toichi smiled to himself. "Even if they have, Kaito is a light sleeper and may wake anyway. Once Saguru is out he won't wake until morning." He looked at the door again before getting up himself. He felt uneasy about going to bed but it was better than staying up all night.

"You're that worried about this, are you?" Konosuke wasn't blind to Toichi's uneasiness. He had never been on guard in this type of way before, and wasn't sure how to reassure him. "I'll just be one room over if you need me for any reason."

Toichi nodded. "I don't mean to be but the events the past few days have just made me really uneasy about something" He sighed. "You can go to bed, sorry to worry you. Good night."

"It's alright," Konosuke said with a smile. "Worry me. I am your boss still and you are still coming into work with me tomorrow, so I have to make sure you're taken care of. Goodnight, Toichi. Again, I'm one room over. Shout if you need something. I'm a pretty light sleeper myself."

"Thank you. Oh, I am going to drop the boys at Azusa's first, they promised to help her out and it will give them a way to meet more of the townspeople too." Toichi was sure that he figured out it was also a way to have them watched over. He headed to the bedroom, peaking under the blanket to where the two boys had been.

Dads head pop in and he went over to him, tackling him as best he could. "Got you!"

Toichi grinned and ruffled Kaito's hair. "Are you two settled enough?"

"Settled? It's not our first night here. Of course we're settled." Kaito could have gone to bed ages ago but dad wandered off and Saguru was no fun.

"You weren't sleeping under here the last few nights. Would 'are you comfortable?' suit your grammar better?"

Kaito snorted. "I'd be more comfortable if Saguru weren't so bony."

 _"So stop rolling on top of me."_

"Stop taking up my space."

Toichi reached in and shifted them himself, ignoring the gasps but smiling at the chuckles. He tucked a blanket around each of them, leaving a small bit of room in the center. "There, now you have your own space. Get some sleep, Remember, I'll be waking you both in the morning."

Kaito laughed, curling up. "Too bad it's so small in here. Goodnight dad."

"Good night Kaito, goodnight Saguru."

 _"Good night father."_

Toichi smiled and backed out, letting the area disappear behind the 'tent flap' as he stood and went to get into bed himself. He still felt uneasy but the boys were here and safe. He was sure Miss. Azusa would keep an eye on them tomorrow so he had nothing to worry about until then.

Akako felt like she waited forever until she was sure that everyone in the house was asleep. She had needed some ingredients for her spell anyway and she had stolen a bowl from a nearby house. With a pinch of the dust she now had, she sprinkled it on the ground, a marking for where she wanted the spell to take them, a good distance from the house and towards the woods. "Distance parameter reset." She would let the bracelets do the rest, as they would bring the kids to her in the most efficient, unnoticeable way possible.

...

Toichi woke and stretched sitting up, a little surprised that the boys were still asleep. "Come on you two, clean up and come out to eat breakfast." He figured he could start the food first and they could join him. When it was mostly done, Toichi looked in the room again. Kaito may roll over and sleep but Saguru usually woke and came out right away. "Kaito. Saguru, come on, time to-" He moved the sheet aside and found the blankets as he left them, wrapped around and tucked but it looked like the rest had dropped down into the two vacant spaces. There was no sign the boys left but they were not there at all.

Konosuke had been mostly awake, getting dressed when he heard Toichi making far too much noise and calling out to the children. He finished getting his shirt on before stepping out of the room. "Toichi? What's wrong?"

"They're gone. The blanket isn't even moved aside, it's like they just... disappeared." Toichi gave up with the window and headed pass Mr. Konosuke to get to the door and check outside.

"I'll help you look. Just let me get my shoes on." Konosuke was worried about Toichi's previously strange behavior but he had seemed fine with his kids. That fact that they were simply gone now left him worried. Kaito had gone into the wood before and he wasn't sure that they hadn't run off there again because something happened.

Toichi nodded, already dressed, and headed outside, checking the ground and then circling to the window, trying to find something but there weren't even footprints. He cursed and leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath and knowing he needed to calm down and think.

Konosuke took a look around the house the opposite way Toichi did. He could tell how upset the man was and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I easily got help when Kaito went missing. I'm sure we can get a group together and go look for them. They can't have gotten far on their own."

"I tucked them in myself and it wasn't moved. Kaito I would believe sneaking out to do something but he'd be back for breakfast and Saguru never acted this way." Toichi met the man's eye. "I don't think they left on their own."

Konosuke looked his house over. It was hard to believe someone could break in and take the two children away. Toichi was clearly distraught, which would have him jumping to conclusions, and the man had only just gotten well enough to know he even had children. For some strange reason though, be believed him lucid enough to humor the thought. "Either way that's they only way I can think to go about finding them. Maybe their mother came here and took them back. They had been saying she was not herself."

Toichi felt sick at that thought, wondering what was with the switches between the woman he married to one that took one of their sons into the woods and left him for an unknown reasons, to her taking them from him without a word. "I'm going to start looking. If anyone finds anything... I'm sure you can figure out a way to let me know." He pushed off from the wall and headed toward the woods.

"Don't go far! We don't want to be looking for you too! You know it's better with a search party!" Konosuke also knew the man wouldn't listen. He went into town, knowing Yusaku at least would help. He had nothing better to do most of the time and he was good at finding things.


	11. Hunter

**Chapter 11: Hunter**

Kaito woke up feeling kind of hungry and a little woozy for some reason. He put a hand to his head and it took him a second to realize he was seeing daylight out a window, and knew he shouldn't be, though didn't know why at first. His brain worked really fast once he realized he was in a bed, one far too comfy to be normal. He looked and saw Saguru sleeping next to him. He didn't like sharing a bed with his brother if he could help it. "Hey." He shook him a little. "Wake up."

Saguru moaned and shifted. He did not feel well and did not want to wake. "I am not going to help you prank father so just-" He squeezed his eyes tighter when he rolled and brightness hit him through his eyelids. He squinted and blinked his eyes open. "Where's our tent?"

"Few towns over I'm guessing, unless this is some kind of trick." Kaito was looking around though. He doubted this was fake. It looked like they were really back at the witch's house.

Saguru rubbed his eyes and sat up, seeing the candy everywhere and feeling his heart drop. Had it all been a dream? He had been so happy to be back with him, even with him not remembering them. "I... I dreamt we left and found him. It was so real."

"You should stay out of my dreams then." Kaito sat down, relaxing. There was no way he'd ever had such a long, complicated dream. "I doubt we both dreamed up a tent though. You hate the outdoors."

"No way. We were inside and he tucked us in… for the first night since the first few nights he did not even remember us."

"I know we were, so how did we get here?"

"You... " Saguru blinked and shook his head, He had promised himself to be more observant but that meant it was not a dream. "Do you think she did not know he remembered us? You ran away the first day, maybe she was worried and took us, like she did last time."

"Maybe. We were in someone's house though. I mean, she didn't do that with mom." She had turned them into cats. But then, there had been dad and the other guy at the house and only mom last time. "She could have at least talked to us."

"Let's go talk to her. Tell her about the misunderstanding and that father was cursed." Saguru climbed out of the bed and ran to the door, feeling bad it might wake her but knocking anyway. "Miss. Akako? Miss. Akako, there has been a mistake."

Kaito was hungry so he grabbed a piece of the crunchy wall before walking over and watching Saguru knock on the door while he chewed on the candy.

Saguru kept trying before biting his lip. There was a chance he had missed her. Maybe she was outside getting some ingredient or doing something with the deer. He headed to the door, deciding to call out to her from outside.

Kaito followed Saguru, finishing off the piece he had and licking his fingers while his brother opened the door and was just staring outside, looking like 'nature' was going to bite him. "Go on."

"I... I want to but... " Saguru shook his head. It was like he was frozen there, unable to go forward at all no matter how much he wanted to.

Kaito pushed him to get him out the door and Saguru pushed back at him, making him take a few steps backwards or fall. "Hey!"

"Sorry, I said I want to but it is like I am stuck." Saguru looked forward again, moving from one side of the doorframe to the other, trying to find a way to unstuck himself.

"Hm." Saguru was better at puzzles than he was so Kaito sat down and watched his brother, seeing if he noticed anything. "Not wearing a necklace, are you?"

"Ha ha." Saguru looked down anyway to check, going over everything he had on. "No, the only thing is... unless the bracelet reset while we were gone." Shifting the bracelet a little, wondering if he could put his other hand out a little if he kept the arm with the bracelet on it inside, if the door failed, he could try reaching out the window.

Kaito watched Saguru. It was like watching a rabbit in a hutch testing at its boltholes, seeing where it was weakest. Plus, Saguru kind of looked like a bunny to him, so that only helped the image. He sighed after Saguru wound up back at the door. "Stuck, huh?"

"It is impossible to even reach outside." He looked up at the sky through the trees and frowned. "Father will be so worried. I hope we can talk to Miss. Akako soon."

"Me too. It's her house, so it's not like we don't know where she'll be." Kaito was also getting hungry for some real breakfast. Being stuck inside sucked too.

Saguru sighed but looked over when Kaito's stomach growled. "I guess we can get breakfast, maybe make something for her too, like we did before." He started to head to the kitchen before looking at Kaito. "But no teasing me about cooking."

"Then don't say 'we'. I'm not going to be cooking." Kaito didn't think he was any good at it and he didn't want to try his hand at it either. He got up and followed his brother. "I hope dad doesn't try to go looking for us and gets lost. We couldn't find our way out of these woods."

"He could find his way out. I know he would not get lost." Saguru pulled one of the pans over to do eggs again. The thought of father getting lost trying to find them when Miss. Akako said her place was hidden worried him more than he wanted to admit. He focused on the eggs to distract himself, trying not to burn anything.

Kaito handed him the eggs and got them both something to drink before sitting down and watching his brother. He still felt a little short for this table but it didn't bother him much. Honestly, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do or plan for now. They had wanted to find dad, and they had. Now they were back in the middle, at least not where they started with mom, and stuck. He hated being stuck and having nothing to do.

Saguru split the eggs between both of them but without the concentration he was doing to cook them, he was thinking about what father was going through now.

Kaito took his plate and pushed some of his eggs on Saguru's when he had more than him. Saguru made them otherwise he wouldn't have fought over getting a bigger portion. "So, we're stuck here and waiting on Akako to get back... Want to listen to me read the book again?"

Saguru blinked and looked up when more eggs landed on his plate. He managed a smile and nodded. "Sure. Let me guess, I have to eat all of this or you change your mind?"

"Eat as much as you want. What do I care? There's food all around here." Kaito took a bit, not liking the eggs as much as Saguru had made them before, even though they had always been rather bland. "You just gave me a lot more."

Saguru shrugged. "I just did not think I could eat as much." He took a bite and frowned, realizing it was off. "Sorry, I guess I was more distracted than I wanted to be." He ate some more, leaving about half and feeling bad about it. "Do you want to finish this?"

"Sure. I'm sure your germs won't kill me." Kaito slide his own plate away, having finished, and started on Saguru's. "I know you don't like this, I don't either, and we're both worried, but there's nothing we can do right now. You or I would have thought of something if there was."

Saguru brightened a little. "Maybe not thinking will help. Like that time we could not figure out father's riddle until we did something else."

"Hm." Kaito thought on that. "Yeah, maybe thinking on something else will help. I'm not sure the book will do that." He wasn't sure what would though. There might be some cool books around here but the witch would have them separate, probably.

"Maybe... maybe we could play a game? You always think of games to play."

"A game in the house?" Then again, he didn't think he could break anything. It was all replaceable candy. Kaito grinned and bent over so that his hands were on the floor and his knees were bent. "Tag, animal style. You can't take a step without moving a hand too. Any two steps with the same foot before a hand reaches the ground and you get punished by breaking the rules of the game."

"Ummm, what punishment?"

"Hmm... Hanging upside down from the back of the couch until you turn blue." Even he couldn't hang upside down forever, so it was fair enough.

Saguru shook his head and climbed off the chair, crouching down to mimic Kaito. "I call not it." He took off to the living room, trying to remember to move his hands with his feet.

Kaito wasn't used to using his hands and feet this way and, though Saguru had a head start on him, he noticed him mess up a few times. As long as he wasn't out rightly trying to cheat, he wasn't going to call anything. He chased after him, looking for even more revenge for that tail thing. He wouldn't be it for long.

Saguru ducked around a corner and jumped into one of seats. He ducked low, hoping Kaito had not seen him and needing a breather. It was harder to run on all fours as a human and he knew he had messed up a few times and he didn't want to be stuck upside down.

Saguru was far too slow on four legs but, to be fair, he was a bit slower too - it just wasn't nearly as noticeable. He let his brother rest for a moment but only a moment, so he could stretch out his own muscles, and then he was after him again. Saguru really shouldn't think he'd be 'it' so long. It was the confines of the house that were the only reason he was getting tagged at all.

Saguru lost sight of Kaito again and crawled under a chair to wait for him to come by, ready to surprise him, even if he had to tackle him to do it.

Kaito felt like a cat, stalking Saguru. He made sure he got up behind him as silently as possible and grabbed the back of his feet, pulling him out. He simple squished him by lying on top of him, not letting him up for a few moments. "Tag."

Saguru squirmed, trying to get out from under Kaito before letting his head fall back. "When I get older, I will make sure to be strong enough to pin you and not let you up."

Kaito grinned. "But you'll never be older than me."

"I can be stronger anyway so-" Saguru stuck his tongue out.

"You can dream." Saguru would always be his little brother and, even though they were about the same height, he'd still always be his _little_ brother.

Saguru reached up, trying to tickle him like father could do. It was a little odd, and unfair, that only father could tickle Kaito when it should have worked for him too.

Kaito had proven his point and Saguru was trying to use his littleness as an advantage. It wouldn't work when Kaito was already on top and he trapped him with a hug. He just had to make sure he didn't roll him over and knock him into something. "I win, again."

"Kaitooooo." Saguru wiggled and squirmed, trying to escape before huffing and letting his head drop to the candy floor. "Fine, this time."

Kaito grinned and sat up next to him. "Forever, not just this time." He looked around, a little bored now. He could keep chasing him but he didn't want to give up his win. "So, any new ideas?"

"Well, we could eat a hole in the wall and see if that new opening lets us out."

"We just ate," Kaito said, looking at the wall. "I'm good with clawing and gnawing though."

Saguru crawled over to a piece in the center, not wanting to destroy everything by eating a corner. "Here. This area isn't near the corners so it'll be better to make it here. Like another small window or animal door."

Kaito shrugged and literally just punched the wall. It hurt a little but it made cracks enough he was able to pull some of it again and taste it. "Chocolate."

"I kind of hoped it would be gingerbread or something." Saguru pulled a piece off himself, nibbling it before just pulling a few more off until he got a big piece and used it to hit the edges.

Kaito shrugged. The wallpaper at least was chocolate. He didn't taste the inside. Saguru using candy to scrape off candy of the same hardness was never going to work so he went over and took one of the candleholders, passing it to him.

"Thank you, I think my hands will taste like chocolate for a week." Saguru dropped the now smaller piece and got to work on what he had been chipping away, it was slowly getting deeper and larger. Saguru decided to start whistling, like the miners in that story did.

Kaito rolled his eyes, not really having room to help his brother while he was trying to make just a small hole. Saguru never did stuff like this so he was going to let him be the one to get his hands dirty this time.

Saguru grimaced but kept chipping away, his hands were starting to get really sore but he had not made it through to the other side. He felt a breeze on his hand as another piece fell away. He dropped the candlestick holder and tried to stick his hand through the hole.

"Mining chocolate. You make it look like such hard work," Kaito said sarcastically. If he hadn't have eaten he probably could have gotten through it in five minutes, tops.

Saguru stuck his tongue out and turned back to the wall, pressing his hand to the opening and trying to reach the other side before dropping his hand to his lap and letting out a sigh. "I guess it makes no difference. It is impossible to reach out from here."

Kaito tried it himself, just to make sure the same would happen to him. He hadn't tried the door because he figured it would, and he was right. He couldn't even touch the outside, though he could feel the air. "Hmm."

Saguru looked over at his brother and tilted his head. "I... I am really getting worried. Miss. Akako is not back yet and someone cursed father. Do you think, maybe she..." If she tried to get them away because of the curse on father, even if it was now broken, maybe whoever put the curse on him the first time had come back and that was why they were stuck inside.

"I don't know what to think. It's all weird, what with dad and that necklace and here and everything and mom. I'm not used to all this at once and I've never read any stories like this. Your guesses would be better than mine."

"Except, if it were something from one of the books, she would be the evil witch and behind all the bad stuff. She took care of us and helped us find him, plus, since her spell could only take us to the town, we know she could not beat us to him herself."

"I never thought she would have beat us to him. She didn't seem to like towns. Why? What would she do if she found him first anyway? The whole point was to help _us_ find him. Wish we knew what happened to her though. Hope she wasn't stuck outside of town and sleeping in the forest because she was so far from here."

"I said if this was a story where all witches are bad. The why, usually hatred and chaos and things like that."

"I picture the whole town burning down in that kind of story."

Saguru rolled his eyes "Sure, she has a soft spot for us and takes us away before she does that."

Kaito chuckled. "I guess, but I don't see the point. It's not a very good story."

"I think it used to be the point was to stay away from witches. Maybe she has to deal with a bad witch. If witches are like people, some are good, like Miss. Akako, maybe someone bad was at the town already."

"She did say there were bad ones before." Kaito shrugged. "Hopefully she didn't get into a fight then."

Saguru bit his lip and looked out the hole in the wall. "Do you think, if anything happens to her, that we will be stuck in her house forever?"

"I don't know. Are witches powerful enough to leave magic behind if they die? I don't think she would though. I mean, she's a witch that can turn into animals. She can just run away."

Saguru huffed. "I guess not, according to the stories, but who knows if the rules differ for, say protection spells. Besides, we have no idea if other witches can prevent that." He rested his chin in his hand and tried thinking things through.

Kaito laid back on the floor and tried not to bother Saguru. It got them into fights more than not and Saguru often lost whatever he was thinking on. Sitting still wasn't really his style though and he found himself rolling over and kicking his feet at whatever was near him, touching this or that.

Saguru's thoughts kept going where he did not want them to, partly from Kaito's comment and the realization that Miss. Akako had been there almost every time. She had been there to find them in the woods, taken them to mother, where she showed how changed she was, then to father where he had no idea who they even were. He looked at Kaito and than away. He had voiced his distrust of mother before and Kaito had not taken it well. He was not going to voice these until he had proof this time. "Hey, can we read?"

Kaito looked down his shirt towards his brother. "Ah, sure. I told you we could do that earlier. If the witch lady isn't back by... I don't know, some time tonight, lets try and get out again."

Saguru nodded, getting up and looking forward to this, wanting to stop thinking about Miss. Akako the way he was starting to. He headed straight to the bed, finding the book still next to it and marked to where they had left it. He held it out to Kaito and sat on the bed, moving the cottony candy pillow so they could lean against it.

Kaito settled next to Saguru and opened the book. He knew Saguru could read just as well as he could but it was too hard to share and he was a lot better at the voices. He made the books _better_ and that made him smile. It was something Saguru liked that he was better at and that they liked doing together - sure it was one of the only things but it was something.

Saguru settled down to listen, closing his eyes to better picture it as Kaito did voice after voice. He did not think he ever told Kaito how good he was at that, making the characters come to life like he did. At a pause, or chapter change, he interrupted. "How do you do that?"

"Huh?" Kaito didn't have to worry about losing his spot as he looked away. "Do what?"

"Those voices. You even make them sound like themselves every time without sounding like yourself. I tried it before and **it just sounds like a deeper version of myself.** It does not even sound real." Saguru looked over at his brother. "Can you sound like me?"

"Ah, yeah, I think I can." He _knew_ he could. He'd mocked Saguru behind his back a few times now, though he didn't really _like_ sounding like him. He was kind of embarrassed to do it now. "I guess I've always been able to do stuff like this. I can make animal sounds too, most of them. It helps with... tricking people."

"What... what about father?" Saguru knew most boys' voices change when they get about twelve, but Kaito could do adult men in the story, maybe he could do father already.

"Never tried but I've done other. I can probably do dad's voice too. Why? You want one of them to sound like dad?"

Saguru blushed a little and shook his head. "I... " He lowered his voice to a whisper.

Kaito smiled. "That's fine. I'll even make you the kid." He turned back to the book. He was half of the way through and he had voices for most, but they'd get used to the new ones.

It was not exactly what he wanted but just hearing father's voice was nice and it saved him from admitting he wanted to hear that it would be alright.

Kaito yawned after reading for what had to be hours. He was getting hungry again but his eyes were more tired than that. He put the book down and stretched. "I _really_ need to move."

 _"Thank you."_ Saguru sat up and stretched. "Hey, do you think we could cook some of the steak pieces in a pan like the eggs?"

"I have no idea. Worth trying. If we don't like it, we don't eat it."

Saguru jumped down off the bed and started walking, figuring the steak with some of the salt on it would be good, just to make sure it didn't go bad or something. He knew salt was used on meat because of a fairy tale he had read and it would taste terrible without it.

Kaito rolled around on the bed for a bit, stretching further, before getting up and following his brother to the kitchen.

Saguru almost had it, catching the side of his hand on the edge of the pan when he almost dropped the saltshaker trying to turn the meat pieces with the other hand.

Kaito heard Saguru hiss and had to shake his head. "If only dad got mom sane. You're no girl, or if you are one, you're a really bad one."

"Shut up. At least we can eat something besides candy." Saguru shoved his hand in the sink to cool it. "You can take it off, it should be done."

"Since when do you know that a stake is cooked? Unlike you _I'm_ not crazy either." Kaito went over and got plates, picking the meat up with a fork and not burning himself like a smart person.

Saguru sulked a little. "It is not my fault; the salt shaker got slippery." Saguru was glad when Kaito fished his fork out of the pan too. "I guess a few pieces are sweet and salty now."

Kaito shrugged, not caring. The silverware never really seemed to be effected by heat or cold before. He didn't know how that worked or if the pan itself would make the meat sweet but he didn't really care. He was hungry.

...

Konosuke had to rest. It was getting late and the sun was going down. They hadn't found the children and he and the others were getting more worried. It wasn't safe for such young boys to be out there alone, nowhere near town if their search had been thorough enough. "Toichi, I know you're worried, but we need to think of something else. This isn't working. Where do you think the boys would have gone?"

Toichi rubbed his face and sighed. "In this area, I have no idea. They did say there was a house in the woods, I can only hope that they reached it. Are there any hunters that know the woods and if there is a secluded home in there?"

"I think the town would know if there was something like that in the woods. A few make a spare living hunting game and we don't keep secrets like that. If you'd like you can ask Shuichi though. He is the one who deals with any wolf or other wild animal problems we have. I doubt that he knows anything about a secret house but he's my best guess. I was pretty sure I spoke him and he was helping search. With night coming, I'm pretty sure the others listened to common sense and have gone home though."

Toichi recalled the name but had not really spoke to the man. He thought about the supposed appearance and wondered, if he had seen it, would he admit it or assume he was hallucinating. He decided it was an option he would offer, just because this was his boys. "Saguru described it well enough, maybe I can ask."

Konosuke nodded. "In the morning. Neither of you will find anything in the dark, and less so in the forest with the moonlight cut off. Dawn won't be far and you haven't eaten."

Toichi looked toward the woods again and could only pray that his boys had found themselves somewhere with food. "You're right. I will be no use starving myself." He would see if he could find him at dawn.

Konosuke nodded. While he was a good man and father, at least Toichi could see reason. "Come on then. Some food and some rest will help you find the boys better than any tracker I could find you."

...

Saguru frowned when he woke and saw that Miss. Akako still refused to answer his knocks. He pulled out some paper, deciding it was an emergency, and started writing a few copies of the same note, letting anyone that read it know he and Kaito were alright but could not leave the house, Miss Akako had not been there at all and to let their father know.

Kaito decide that he could at least make a sandwich and made a few for breakfast while Saguru wrote and he watched him throw the little notes out the window. "You know, the animals are probably just going to eat those."

Saguru paused with one in his hand and looked over. He needed to make it go further anyway. "Maybe an animal will take it... " He looked back out the window and watched the breeze move the tree branches. His eyes widened and he ran to get some of the sheets, ripping a few pieces and grabbing a candle, tying the note to the holder to the bottom of the sheet. It should work. Everything about fire said it would, he just hoped the candy held. He eased the sheet out the window, which was tied to the base of the candlestick holder with string, before letting it go to carry the note he tied to the bottom. "HA! It works. That should let the wind take it and maybe someone will find it."

Kaito watched Saguru send off his little heated balloon, knowing that the fire would likely not melt the candy if any of the logic here still made sense in the real world. "Hope the wind is blowing the right way."

Saguru watched where the sun was. "I think it is. When we flew to the town, we headed that, with the sun up and to our left. It looks like it is going that way." He laughed, thrilled that it followed the rules of hot air rising and looked at Kaito. "Now animals have no way to eat it."

"Until it hits the ground." Kaito was smiling though. Maybe if he even saw part of it, dad would know that it was from them. The candy would give away where they were. "I wish he wasn't so far."

Saguru frowned and bit his lip, looking over again at the balloon but it was out of sight behind the trees. He picked at the windowsill, flicking the pieces out the window before backing up. "Is there still a sandwich left?"

"Of course. You never ate yours." Kaito looked out the window longingly. "I wish we could at least go outside. I hate being inside this long."

"Even I would love to sit outside, I would even try climbing a tree if I could be out there." Saguru picked up the sandwich and took a bit before leaning against the table, looking at Kaito and the small bit of nature through the window before jumping up and setting his food down. He grabbed the chair and dragged it to the front door, opening the door and lining the chair up to one side, going back and grabbing another to set on the other side. He nodded and grabbed the remains of the sheet from earlier and threw it over the two chairs. "Kaito, come on." He grabbed his breakfast and went to sit in the cave, facing out. "Now we can pretend it's a cave outside."

Kaito smiled, liking that idea and quickly crawling down there with his brother. He didn't really feel like reading right now so it'd be fun to pretend for a while and watch outside. "Good idea."

"I learned from the best." Saguru said quietly, taking another bite and refusing to look toward Kaito, even as he felt embarrassed for admitting that.

Kaito wasn't sure that the version dad had made was the best version of an indoor tent but it sure worked so he agreed, rolling over and watching upside down so he could see as much as the sky as possible. "I hate waiting."

...

Toichi asked around and was relieved to find that Shuichi was in town and found him. He approached him, hoping he would not sound crazy or disturbed for asking about a house that looked like it was made of candy. "Sir, I need to know if there is anywhere in the woods where there is possibly a house."

Shuichi looked at the new man on his doorstop. "That's very general. Here and there are houses scattered in the forest everywhere. There's a few in town, the road to town, and the next towns over. If we wanted to be specific, this town is in the woods."

"This is one that is away from any one else, cut off and... " Toichi took a deep breath and took the plunge. "I was told made of candy. My boys said it was a witch that lived there and it was a quarter day by flying carpet to the edge of this town and they rode tame fawns to our old town under an hour."

"It's closer to your home town then." Shuichi wondered how far 'flying' and 'riding' were different. He found a lot of this hard to believe but he had nothing going on and they had been looking for kids around the forest over here. Any tracks would have been long wiped away by those searching. "How do you feel about putting me up at your house there so I can look around? I'm not doing much. I make my living selling meat and furs and I can do that anywhere." Plus, this sounded interesting. Interesting was always a good thing.


	12. Burned

**Chapter 12: Burned**

Toichi nodded, relief flooding him. "The boys had their own room and you are welcome to it. The road east of here leads to it and we can be there by nightfall, sooner if we go straight through."

Shu shook his head. "We take the road. I want to have a look around and running into our own tracks is possible." They could head in a straight line but he wasn't about to go searching for small signs in the forest at the same time he was traveling.

Toichi nodded. "Alright, I can meet you at the road in a half-hour. I need to let Mr. Konosuke know."

"That's fine. I need to settle some things here." He needed to pack for a few days as well. He didn't know how long he'd be away but a day of clothes wouldn't last him if travel was going to take the rest of the day itself.

Toichi nodded. "Thank you so much." He turned, knowing he felt bad about needing to leave so soon but he was doing this for his family and his family was in trouble. He would pick up more odd jobs around town when he returned.

...

Akako found she was pleased the kids were stuck with her and, the longer they were away from their parents, the more so they would become hers. They needed to rely on her and her house right now. They were too worked up about their father and the longer they got used to the idea of being away from him, the better for her. She couldn't stay here forever and the perfect cover for her was with one of them, in a town somewhere far away - where less people knew about her and she had them wrapped around her finger – which would suit her just fine. This house was far too eye catching and it wasn't just humans that could come after her. She'd set up her perfect little cover and have her perfect little fake family while her magic grew. It would just take some time.

...

Toichi greeted a few people he knew when they reached the town, hearing from them that the boys were missing and they were sorry they could not do more. One of the more gossipy of the ladies insisted that since Sharon wasn't too broken up she was sure that she had sold them while waiting. He assured her that that was not the case but it was not the only theory he heard. It hurt him and he was going to make sure she was not wearing any strange necklaces or other jewelry the moment he saw her, just to make sure. As they approached the house, his eyes swept the area, looking for his wife. "Sharon?"

Sharon heard her husband. She hadn't been expecting him back this early but it didn't surprise her too much that he was. She wiped her hands on her smock and stood up, having tried planting a few seeds she picked up days ago. Planting season was over but it was something to start on for next year. She went around the house, seeing the man she married and a younger one that she had never seen before. "I'm here."

Toichi breathed a sigh of relief, going over to her and taking her hands. "Answer me, please. How did I ask you to marry me?"

Sharon was a bit surprised. Something was up. "You puttered around, taking me out to eat and then finding a rose somehow, in the dead of winter, and asked me to marry you."

Toichi smiled for the first time since yesterday, even if it was small, and nodded. "What happened to our boys?"

Sharon mixed a shrug with a shake of her head. "I don't know. I haven't seen them in a few days. It's like they vanished."

Toichi took a deep breath and used one finger to lift her chin and meet her eyes. "And the first time?"

Sharon stayed silent a moment longer than she normally would. She had little issues with the truth though. "And the first time I thought it would be better for us all if we only had one child to look after instead of two. I don't know if I truly thought this or I would have just made sure of that fact. All I know is Kaito disappeared, along with Saguru - who I did not know would vanish as well - and they came back several days later perfectly fine for the experience while I sat here, like I have been now, and worried."

Toichi sighed, disappointed that she admitted it but trying to hang on to the slim hope that it was under a curse as well. "They made it to the new town and found me, both worried about you because you had acted strangely, saying you left Kaito in the woods alone. They disappeared yesterday morning from the very room they were sharing with me after I went three days not knowing them or you. I will find them and we can sort this out."

That was a lot to take in. Sharon had no idea something like that was possible and her husband didn't seem all there. That could have been because he was worried but spewing all that at her and claiming amnesia seemed unlike him if it weren't the truth. "Alright."

Toichi pulled her into a brief hug, vowing to sort this out when his boys were safe, and turned to Shuichi. "Sorry, Shuichi, this is my wife, Sharon, Sharon, Shuichi Akai. He's going to help with the search."

Shuichi turned to the woman and nodded his head, looking towards the forest around them. It was dark but he could make out depth pretty well while they had been traveling. "I take it you hunt there as well." He was going to looking for children. He pictured himself finding one in a trap. That was one way of catching them.

Sharon nodded her head when the man did. The stranger looked younger than her husband, and not bad at all. She looked towards the forest as well. "You think the children are back here?"

"There was a house they said they stayed at, closer to here, and if they disappeared from both our homes after being there, there is a chance that is where they are."

Sharon shook her head. "Well, I haven't seen them."

"I'll look around in the morning." Shuichi wasn't really looking forward to a couch or a child's bed but it was better than nothing. He was hoping for a meal but looking around this place it looked liked he'd have to be the one providing at the same time he was searching for the children. Some rewarding career this seemed to be.

"Thank you, I'll show you where you can put your things." Toichi headed to the house, wondering how things went so much further downhill than they had been. He would send Sharon into town for some extra food. As soon as they found the boys, he would pack them all up and leave here anyway, just to keep them close and mend what was broken.

...

Kaito was so bored. He groaned aloud after eating one of Saguru's not-so-great breakfasts. Dad was even a better cook. He wanted to go outside so bad, just roll around in the mud. He was starting to feel clean, even sleeping on candy. "I want oouutttt," he complained.

"Me too. I never thought I would be bored of reading. I guess 'cabin fever' is real even if there is an entire library." Saguru set up the chair tent again and crawled under it to lay on his stomach and look out the door. "Do you think father has found the lantern yet?"

"Don't know. I don't know how he's going to find this house if magic keeps him out." Kaito sighed. "If it's as good at keeping people out as us in, it seems hopeless."

Saguru tucked his head into his arms and bit his lip. "Maybe... if they get close enough for us to see, we can throw something past whatever is blocking the view. He can figure something out, _he has to."_

Kaito frowned. He didn't expect that old guy to come with dad, if dad knows where to go at all. Even he didn't know where in the forest they were. "Dad's smart but I'm not sure the distance. If he can't see the house, we can't see him." He wasn't going to say any more about it though. Both of them being more depressed wasn't necessary.

"Well, Mr. Yusaku has that necklace. Maybe its magic will break this one."

"Ha-" Kaito let out a breath. That didn't make any sense. He'd let Saguru think that though. Magic didn't really make sense to him anyway.

Saguru looked out the door again, trying to think but running out of possibilities. _"Sorry."_

"Sorry for what? Did you eat all the food in the kitchen or something?" Kaito went under the tent and peeked at his brother, laying out on top of him because he wanted to. "Ah, that's better. Company."

"No." Saguru squirmed a little. "I am... I have no idea how to get out of here. Nothing works and... I am just not smart enough to get us home." Saguru finished slowly, embarrassed and trying not to show his tears.

"And I'm the older brother. Stop worrying about it. I'll get us out of here." Kaito reached over and mussed up his hair, not having to move from where he was. "Just give me a bit. An idea hasn't come to me yet. It's there. Give it another day. I'll figure it out."

"Kaitoooooo." Saguru groaned and reached up to fix his hair. "Fine, I can send another lantern to let them know your idea."

"Just send one. I said the idea wasn't formed yet." Honestly he had none, but he was sure he could think of one if he tired. Now he just had to try... Hmmm. There was an idea, but it might take a long time and a lot of work to do. It also involved breaking a lot of rules. "Want to go see the basement?"

Saguru lifted his head and tried to look over his shoulder at his brother. "Are you crazy? She said not to. What if she has something down there that we break? Besides, if we can not even go out an open door, how do you expect s to go through a closed one?"

"It's all candy, right? We can just eat it. Besides, I'm sure if she were in trouble she'd want us to get out and help her. At the very least we can see if she's down there and something happened to her that didn't let her get up here. You don't want her to be hurt, down there all alone, now do you?"

Saguru frowned. He had not heard her but if she was hurt... "Alright, but you better not break anything down there."

"I'll break the door and anything else that needs breaking and try not to break anything that doesn't need breaking." Kaito got off of Saguru, tipping his head. "In the mood for some candy?"

"I guess, I get dibs on the hinges." Saguru crawled out of the chair tent and headed to the door, having eaten the main doors lower hinges the previous afternoon and finding the minty taste of it better than the door itself. Saguru resigned himself to eating the hinge while sitting since this one was a lot harder to break off. He hoped that the door rebuilt itself like the front door did, just in case Miss. Akako was not down there.

Kaito was hoping to get it as big as Saguru got the wall the other day. Unfortunately it was a lot to eat. Breaking it apart seemed like a lot of work though and once he had a hole his teeth were easier to use. Spitting it out seemed gross, even to him. He laid down and let out a breath when it was big enough for them to get through. "Hurry, before it grows back."

Saguru crawled through the hole quickly and his hand met thin air, almost sending him face first down the flight of stairs. He caught the hole in the door with his foot and managed to get on the stairs normally before going down them with Kaito.

Kaito wasn't blind. He'd been eating away at the door and knew there were stairs. Why wouldn't there be with a door like this? He tried not to laugh at Saguru as he got up the energy to get himself through and make his way quietly down. It was still a witch's place. He didn't want to get them into even more trouble than they already were by accidentally setting off some kind of spell. Since he didn't really know what to look for though, being cautious seemed kind of silly.

Saguru looked around when they reached the bottom, a little confused that it all still looked lived in. The bed was made up and she was not in any of the rooms off the one at the foot of the stairs. Saguru looked at the vials on a shelf and sighed. "Too bad none of these are labeled. Maybe something would take the bracelets off."

"We could always mess around with them," Kaito suggested, but even he didn't think that was such a great idea. Who knew what they could accidentally do. He didn't really like the idea of going up to mope around the house again. "I had been thinking that we could kind of dig up and get out of here, but we're pretty far from the ground level now. Messing around with bottles seems easier."

"You are crazier than I thought you were. I would rather try digging than risk winding up melting my hand off. Remember, she said she did not have healing powers so if you do anything to yourself, it better be something we can treat ourselves." Saguru headed toward a wall, trying to find an area that was hidden from view so that, if he was wrong, it would not ruin anything but if he was right, it would be harder to find.

Kaito looked around at the weird things on the shelves. A lot of them were too high and there didn't seem to be a chair around here. He reached up, taking down something from the lowest shelf and sniffing it. He smelled sour and he put it back up, reaching up again and getting something red and sweet smelling. He put his finger in it, tasting it a bit and getting really dizzy before putting it back up. "Maybe this was a bad idea." He'd take his chances with his brother.

Saguru had been running a hand along the walls in a corner near a cabinet of some kind. If the door was opened, it hid this area easily. He started picking at the wall, planning to get a slope upward as soon as he had a hole they would fit through.

Kaito let Saguru go one on one with the wall while he got over his dizzy spell. It took him a while and it felt like there was still some fuzziness around the edges of everything as he went and tried to help Saguru. The opening was a bit small for two people to work on and he could barely get his hand in, so he let his brother do most of it. He'd eaten more than broken the trap door so he was pretty full still.

Saguru managed to break through a good amount of the wall but just when he thought he was through, he suddenly stopped again. He bit his lip. It was just like the hole upstairs. There was no way out for them.

Kaito let in and let out a breath when Saguru made those weird motions from upstairs. He sat down by the wall and looked around. "Well, there's a way." He closed his eyes. They couldn't go sideway, and they couldn't dig from down here... but they could go up. He grabbed Saguru's hand. "Come on. I have an idea."

"Wha- woah." Saguru had little time to wonder as his brother tugged him back to the stairs. "Kaito," Saguru realized something and the hope came back to him. "What is your plan?"

"Pretty much just fill up the living room with stackable things against the wall and see if I can't get to the top. Shouldn't be too hard." It was like a staircase and in this case, everything was replaceable, so he didn't care if he broke or ruined anything as he made it up the stairs and looked around. "Want to help me turn over the couch and we can stack a chair on that?" They'd need a little bit more to put under the chair, but maybe the cushions would be enough.

Saguru looked around, trying to see if he could picture a way to piece the furniture together and make a way to the ceiling. "This will be so dangerous if we do this wrong or fall." He added. "The table would be good too, and easier to move than lifting the couch. Plus, we can stack things on it better."

Kaito shrugged, getting on one side of the table and pushing it. "Come on then."

Saguru helped Kaito get the table and they moved it to against the back of the couch so they could use it to get more things on both. The chairs were next, the bigger ones from the kitchen first but, even if it seemed steady, Saguru was getting more nervous. His brother could climb anything, even if it was swinging or swaying, but Saguru rarely did that and was not always successful. Saguru kept gathering what he could while Kaito stayed higher up to place them. "Can you reach the top yet?"

Kaito stood easily, touching to the - or a part of the edge of the roof - of the house. "Yeah, I'm up here. Give me a minute." He still had to get through to see if he could reach outside. There had to be some gray area to work around with this spell.

Saguru bit his lip and hoped this worked. Even if it did, he was starting to doubt he could follow Kaito out. "Hey, you could have warned me," Saguru called up when a piece bounced off his head and he shifted to stand a little further away.

Kaito looked down, pulling off a bit more of the roof and chuckled as Saguru scuttled even further away before grabbing the edge where some larger rafter of candy was and getting himself up and out.

Saguru blinked and smiled when he saw Kaito climb out. "How is it? Can you get to a tree or something from there?"

Kaito looked around. There were a few trees but mostly, he liked being on a roof. It was really hard to get to their own since there weren't any trees there, and the barn was too tall. That hadn't stopped him from finding other roofs he _could_ climb and it was nice to be taller than everyone else for once. "Yeah, I see a few branches but I'd have to jump to them." He walked to the edge of the roof and put his hand out, feeling where it just didn't want him to reach past. He let out a sigh and bent down near the hole he had made, sticking his head down and lowering his hand. "Won't work. It's nice to have some fresh air though. Come on up, scaredy cat."

Saguru huffed. "I am not a cat, I mean, not scared, or a cat." If they were going to be on the roof, he could send up another lantern and message. "I will be up in a moment." He took off to get the supplies again, wrapping them up and tucking them under his shirt. He looked up and started to make his way toward the ceiling. It had never been heights that he hated, the rug had been fun because just sitting there was easy - climbing on and walking on animals or shaky furniture, that was harder. "How did you climb this without making it move?" Saguru looked up from the chair he was standing on and tried to trust himself to climb onto the back of it and reach for the roof like Kaito had.

Kaito shrugged, his hand still lower. "I don't know. I just felt that, when it started to move one way, I made it move on purpose the other way. I felt it moving on me the whole time. Don't try jumping up here. Just take my hand."

"I have no idea how you could do that. I feel like if I try to move it it will fall over." Saguru took a deep breath and stood on his tiptoes to reach up, grabbing Kaito's hand.

Kaito held his brother. Being twins, they really needed some age difference when it came to one of them being obviously stronger, but he'd gotten used to getting his brother up places by simply being the helping hand and showing Saguru where to grab and where to put his foot as he held on and Saguru got himself up little by little. He let him go once his knees touched the roof. "You have to get out more."

Saguru closed his eyes, letting the fresh air move his hair and feeling the sun come down through the trees. "I will never complain about that again."

Kaito smiled, shielding his eyes from the sun, feeling his heart sink a little even as the light rose. "We're so far in I can't even tell where the forest ends. I didn't really notice when we were in the air."

Saguru pulled the bundle out from under his shirt and smiled. "Then let's make another signal. The house may be hidden but if we keep sending these, someone has to see it."

Kaito nodded. He figured if it made it close to their house than at least some of the other kids would wind up finding it. Grown-ups were so blind sometimes. They'd probably think it was trash.

...

Toichi was up at first light, knowing he would owe Shuichi a great deal after this and fully intending to pay him back however he could. He still felt a little unsure about Sharon, as there had been no blanks in her memory or foreign objects on her either. It hurt his heart to think she had done what Saguru said but she had- no, he would focus on finding his boys first. He put together some food for them from what was there, deciding to get something from town when they returned.

Shuichi could tell this town was struggling as badly as he had heard. Had their own enough resources to provide for both he was sure some would. It looked like this area wouldn't be surviving the coming years though and others like Toichi would be moving on to more profitable towns. He got together some traps of his own, simply because they would need food for the few days they would be here. If he saw no signs of the children by them, odds were they were dead. "Follow me. You're not a hunter, I can tell that on sight. Don't go stepping into any traps or ruining any trails. Stay behind me and only stop or start again while I tell you to, otherwise follow me."

"Of course," Toichi replied, "and thank you again."

Shuichi nodded and started off into the forest. Tracking animals was easy. Tracking children, by the same logic, should be just as simple. The only issue was the boys disappeared more than a day ago. Any signs of them would be worn away by now, and it hadn't rained in some time. The ground was hard and unforgiving when it came to leaving him clues. That didn't mean he couldn't guess at where they were or could be while looking for more human traces, such as a discarded article of clothing or an attempt at a fire - something children would do that would leave an obvious mark.

Toichi listened to the surroundings, making sure his footsteps were as silent as his companion's. He knew time was passing but it was both speeding by and going very slow. It seemed to be every second that they were stopping and yet taking forever before Shuichi signaled another stop.

Shuichi came across a few signs of old trappers. They were obvious and old. It was very eye-catching when he was met with a white piece of paper, even if it was up in a tree and he mistook it for sunlight at first glance. More tree climbing. "Stay here." He wasn't sure if it was important but anything white wouldn't last very long in the woods, so it had newly found its home here.

Toichi followed the man's eye-line and saw something that did not belong. He was not sure how it applied here unless Kaito had climbed the tree and left it there for some reason.

Shuichi had used deer traps before. He was no stranger to heights, though tree climbing itself was difficult. He got up a few branches, shaking the higher one until the paper object fell, far too heavy to have landed the way it did as it hit the ground. He lowered himself, waving Toichi forward as he did. "What is it?"

Toichi reached forward, picking the thing apart and moving it in his hands. "I think it's some kind of floating lantern but... it's not cloth." He tasted a bit, thinking about what his boys had told him and nodded. "Only Saguru would come up with this. A candy lantern." He moved a little more aside and found something else, pulling it away and turning it over to find a note in Saguru's handwriting. The relief turned into a frown when he read it. "It's from Saguru. They're together at the witch's candy house. She's not there but they can't leave because of the bracelets?" Toichi thought back, remembering the bracelets and cursing himself for not thinking to get them off when they found out about the necklace.

Shuichi was mildly confused as to why Toichi had been licking something that had fallen on the ground, but he guessed that if he had decided that something may or may not be candy, he might have licked it as well. All this stuff about a candy house was new to him. He had heard Toichi's retold stories about a witch and magic, but this seemed a little farfetched. "Candy house?"

Toichi shook his head. "I still doubted it but here, it's candy and yet, the texture of a piece of fabric." He held out the candy cloth. "I have no other way to explain it and while Kaito would come up with something like that as a story, Saguru would not."

Shuichi would normally have taken his word for the taste though his curiosity got the best of him and he did put it to his lips gently before putting a corner of it briefly between his teeth. He bit off the piece and spit it out, seeing that it did break apart like candy. He frowned and turned it over. "Well, that makes this search easier. We can't miss a house in these woods."

Toichi nodded, more glad that this was proof they were together and OK. "The wind was coming from that way most of the day so if we head that way, maybe we can find something."

"Most likely, since it was above the trees and the wind would only really fluctuate down here." Shuichi didn't spend any more time looking for a trail. There was no point if there was some magic house here somewhere that had spirited them away in the time it took someone to sleep, where as the two of them had traveled most of a day.

Toichi found himself holding the letter as the two of them set off. They had a direction, now he could only hope they actually found this mystery candy house.

While the trees hid most of the light, Shuichi was good at telling time. After a few hours of wandering around the only likely areas the house could be in, he had to sit and rest, taking a few drinks from his flask. He'd gone with water today, if only for the fact that finding a pair of kids was important. "I can't imagine they could have ever reached something so far away. We can go maybe a mile more east but we'll have to start heading west again if we want to be anywhere near town."

Toichi gazed around again, feeling like they were so close. He didn't want to leave but knew if he didn't, he wouldn't be in any shape to help them.

"How can we be missing a house?" Shuichi thought there'd at least be smoke or something. Dealing with all this magic stuff was new to him, and while he didn't believe most of it, there wasn't much else he could do. "I'm going to check my traps on the way back, hopefully with something to eat. We can look a few more days but I'm surprised none of your hunters found it before now. You lived here for quite a while, right?"

"Yes, I would hunt here myself on occasion and there was never anything to hint that there was a house here." Toichi sighed and fingered the letter again. "We are dealing with something unknown. Maybe we can signal them in return."

"Hm. Even I don't know smoke signals. I doubt your kids know Morse code." Shuichi leaned against a tree, going for a cigarette and smoking while he thought. "We need a net of people for this, but the whole idea of some magic candy house isn't going to get a lot of people on our side. It makes me want to _run_ from this crazy side of things to be honest. I didn't think we'd need a hunting dog or I would have brought one. I'm usually just as good as an animal and I'm quieter. This is looking like one big lost cause you've got here. Even sending a message back, if we can't find them it's all pointless."

Toichi tilted his head. "What did you say? Morse Code." He smirked a little. "Knowing Saguru, I bet he does. I never knew him to use it but the amount of reading he's done, I'm sure he's read about it."

"The trees are too dense. Anything sent out would have to be with sound if we wanted to do it in this area." Shuichi stared up at the tress. "Rocks will even work, though it will be hard to draw out some sounds. Still, there's little point if we can't find them. Shouting would work just as well." Anything loud, really, would work. Words seemed the better choice. "Not sure how that will help us either though. We'll go hoarse before we find them."

"Perhaps a mix of both. Loud noises first and the occasional yell to try and get their attention."

"Huge problem with that there, my friend. Your town is dying. What little that you're catching in the woods will be scared off. Are you willing to help kill the others there to find your kids?" Shuichi would have made the suggestion earlier if he thought it was a good idea. Near his own town it would have been fine, but here... "I'll help you with it, if you want, but I can't recommend it."

Toichi lowered his head. He knew he could never do that, for one, his boys would never want him to. "No. Sorry, I've been focusing more on them and the worry is taking over."

"Don't worry about it. Most people are like that. Kind of makes me glad I never had kids, though I somehow wind up in the lives of a lot of them anyway." Maybe he wasn't a father but he knew quite a few children he thought of like family, even if they weren't. He watched the smoke disperse as he let out a breath, shrugging. "I don't mind going out again tomorrow. I know where we've looked already and where we haven't. This might take some time, and I can't guarantee we'll find a house when the rest of the town hasn't already." There might be a solution there he couldn't see, but right now it wasn't coming to him. He reached in and pulled out another cigarette. "Want one? You need a break. If you don't smoke, I suggest sitting down a moment."

Toichi waved the offer away but sat down and leaned against the tree, closing his eyes to think. "Maybe someone saw the house or even saw her but they thought they were dreaming or something and have not admitted it. If you thought you saw a witch or a house of candy in the woods, would you tell anyone?"

"Well, I would have if I saw a witch, if only because I doubt I'd believe she was a witch. As for a house in the middle of the woods, yeah. I likely would have gone right up to it and checked out who the heck was living in the middle of the woods in a candy house." Shuichi didn't see why anyone would keep a house a secret, and he knew few who would simply pass it by. As for a witch, that was a bit different. There'd be a lot of varied reactions to that. "If they didn't say anything, odds are they don't remember the location. We are pretty deep in the forest." New plan. There had to be something besides aimlessly searching. There had to be something they could do. "If your kids are trapped in some magic house of candy no one can find, I think I'm out of ideas."

"The note said Akako, the witch, hasn't been there at all." He looked down at the note than at the man beside him. "Instead of a house, maybe we can find her first."

"So we go from looking for two kids and a house to some witch we've never seen before and can't recognize?" Shuichi was tired and hungry and blamed those factors on his stark response. "Sorry. I didn't mean it to come out that way. I'd rather go back to my place and get a hunting dog if it wouldn't kill two days. I could always phone and ask someone to bring one, but we've been walking all over the place and I doubt that after days it would be able to track them. Toichi, listen, I know you're worried about your kids but they seem fine right now. If they are in a house and safe right now, and we can't get to them, it's pointless to be wandering around like this."

"If only I could let them know I was looking instead of thinking I forgot them again."

"Give it up. There's no easy way to go about that." Shuichi took his last inhale, breathing out slowly as he made sure the embers were out before dropping the cigarette. "Lets go get you and me and your wife some food, rest up a bit, and wait outside your house tomorrow. I can set up some traps and make sure we all have something to eat and when we figure out if we can get to your kids or they can get to us, there will be food. You can tell them we both tried. I'll be leaving by the end of the week but I'll go out again for a few hours each day to see if I can't pick something up. You'll only get in my way."

Toichi nodded, reluctant but from the sound of it, the man would be better on his own. There may be no easy way but he was willing to do things the hard way. Perhaps he would ask around town and see if anyone had any odd stories.

Shuichi didn't miss the look in the other man's eye. He was sure they were near the same age, but apparently having kids gave you a different level of energy. "Come on. I'm starving."

...

Saguru was getting scared and did what he could to get Kaito to sometimes use father's voice. They had sent more lanterns out but he was starting to doubt they'd be found. He did not want Kaito to know and slipped away after lunch and another note/lantern. He curled into one of the closets with one of the blankets around him to muffle the sounds if he started to cry. He knew it was desperate but he wanted the bracelet off and Kaito's idea of burning had been crazy a week ago. Now, he wanted to see if it worked for himself with one of the candles.

Kaito had heard of people going crazy trapped in houses. He spent all the time that he wasn't reading with Saguru trying to invent new games. He even got his brother to run around the roof with him, seeing as they couldn't fall off of it. If it weren't colder at night, he'd sleep up there. He was laying up there now, watching the clouds after throwing more stuff on the 'ladder' so Saguru would stop freaking out every time he climbed it. He wanted to be a bird and fly away from here, but he didn't wholly mind staying and taking care of his brother. It was kind of okay, if not boring.

Saguru had tears in his eyes and his skin was bright red around the bracelet. He hated it so much and biting down on the blanket was only keeping him from yelling. It was not working and the skin was starting to bubble. He knew he needed water and hoped he could make it to the kitchen without Kaito catching him. He had failed at burning the thing off and was tempted to cut it but his wrist hurt too much and he didn't want to cut it too. He slipped out, hugging his hand to himself and, once he reached the living room, tried to be quiet, turning the water on was harder without the chairs and he could barely reach to get water to his wrist. He buried his face in his arm, crying as the water both stung and soothed the burn.

Kaito heard Saguru scuttling around downstairs and peeked down the hole that he'd had to keep open by placing bits of the couch and anything else he could make sticky so they didn't have to keep reopening it. "What are you doing down there? Want to get another book or something?" He could read outside.

Saguru froze a little when he heard Kaito call to him and tried to decide what to do. There was no way he could answer without his voice choking and he did not want to face Kaito yet. He shook his head and tried to hide his hand, keeping his back to the opening.

Kaito tipped his head, even though it was already kind of tipped the way he was looking down. "I can help you up."

Saguru shook his head again and tried to wipe his eyes at the same time. He swallowed, wanting to stay there longer but Kaito would keep pestering him. He pulled his hand to his chest, deciding he could lock himself in the bedroom for a bit. His soaked shirtsleeve could be wrapped around his wrist for now.

Okay, Saguru was acting weird. Big brother time. Kaito swung down, happy his leg was all up and running like normal again. He had a pretty ugly mark but it was closed and nothing hurt anymore. He slipped down onto the chair and easily off the makeshift ladder. "What's wrong? It's okay if you're missing dad again. I am too."

Saguru wished he had not said that but that had been part of it and it made his breath catch. Still trying to keep his back to his brother, he hugged his wrist to himself.

"What do you have?" It looked like Saguru was trying to hide something from him. He was interested but a part of him was worried. Saguru had been crying. He didn't hide it very well and he always looked all splotchy afterwards because his skin was more pale. "Don't worry, I won't take it from you if you don't want me to."

"N-nothing." Saguru answered truthfully, trying to tug the sleeve over the burn and keeping the hiss of pain to himself.

Kaito frowned. "Did you hurt yourself?"

Saguru bit his lip, torn between running for it and wanting some help. _"Sorry."_ His shame won out and he tried to leave again when his shirt was grabbed. He could not stop the cry this time when the sleeve slid across his burn.

Kaito knew Saguru could be fast when he wanted to be, not that he was ever faster than him but it was still easier to grab him than to chase him. Saguru stopped dead when he did, crying and Kaito didn't miss the very red, injured skin where he'd though his brother had been hiding something. "You idiot!" Worry turned to anger quickly and he hit Saguru on the back of the head. "What did you do!? Do you know how mad dad's going to be when he gets here and I didn't watch out for you? How'd you get hurt?" He wanted to see it. He didn't know how to treat wounds further than 'wash and cover' so that was what he was going to do and make sure Saguru wasn't anywhere near whatever he got hurt on again.

Saguru could not meet Kaito's eye, staring at the floor. _"I thought I could burn it off... so we could leave."_

Kaito took in and let out a breath, water pricking at his eyes. "I would have done it if I thought we could. I've tried chewing on it and can't make a dent. Of course fire wasn't going to work." He was going to be in so much trouble. Saguru would never have played with fire on his own. "What do you think dad's going to say?"

 _"I... I have no idea if he will know. If we are stuck here, what if he is stuck out there. With no way to find us. I... "_ Saguru sobbed and broke down crying. He wanted to get home so badly. See father again, even Mr. Konosuke or Mr. Yusaku would be great, just to prove it was not a dream that they had seen them. He was starting to doubt they would ever leave here again.

Kaito hugged his brother. It was all he could really do. He didn't know when they'd get out of here, but somehow he was sure they would. While he didn't mind the time with Saguru, apparently his brother needed something more than 'big brother', and there was nothing more he could be. He cried silent tears of helplessness as the situation was taking so far out of his hands that he didn't know what to do with it. He waited, his tears calming before Saguru, and he rubbed his brother's back. " _I'm_ here. You're not alone."

 _"I know."_ Saguru hiccupped and sniffed and swallowed. _"I know you too and you must want to be out more than me. I feel like I failed to think of a way out."_

" _I promised you I'd get us out. You have to trust me._ " Kaito still hadn't thought of a way but he knew there was one and he was _never_ going to give up, even if it was nice here. Saguru was going crazy. "Come on. Let's get that wrapped up before the bracelet hurts it more and let me get a book. We both need to relax for a bit."

Saguru nodded but still felt ashamed. _"Sorry I upset you."_

Kaito rubbed his eye and slowly let Saguru go. "It's okay. Don't do anything stupid like that again. If I do it, I'm not about to get yelled at for you getting hurt, and you're really bad at doing stupid stuff."

Saguru could not help it as he gave a small chuckle. "You do stupid stuff so much that it became normal."

"Yeah but I'd do it the _right_ way, the wrong way." That didn't make much sense. He'd wound up with broken bones and everything else over the years. He, though, was the big brother and better at making stupid ideas come out with better consequences. It was also a lot better to have Saguru doing something with his head - productive-wise and stuff. "Never thought I'd say this before, but you're an idiot." He chuckled. It was kind of fun to say it.

Saguru wanted to be offended but it was true this time. He finally looked up with a small smile. "I bet you wanted to truthfully say that for years."

Kaito shrugged but there was a smile on his face. "Maybe, though I never noticed it before now. I'm going to go check out the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. You..." he waved at the burn. "Clean it? Dry it? Something with it? I'll be right back."

"I know there was a plant that helps but I have no idea if it grows around here. I can just keep putting water on it until you get back."

Kaito shrugged and took off. It wasn't like they could go outside to get the plant even if Saguru could describe it to him. He went through the cabinet, finding the same wrapping that the witch had used on his ankle. He grabbed it and got down, meeting Saguru back in the kitchen. "Dry off and no more being stupid, Stupid."

Saguru sighed, resigned to the fact that Kaito would hold this over his head for a long time. He sat on the floor, carefully helping Kaito treat the wrist. "I am sorry."

"No you're not. You wanted to try it, you did, and you got hurt. If you were really sorry you wouldn't have done it in the first place. You over think things too much and this one had a clear outcome." Kaito tried to be gentle as Saguru moved the bracelet and he was able to loosely cover the skin. "I'm not mom or dad so don't give me any fake apologies."

Saguru blushed and shifted. "I know, but I ended up worrying you and I really did not want to."

Kaito rolled his eyes. "Of course I'd be worried knowing you hurt yourself, _little brother_." He got up and grabbed Saguru by his good wrist. Climbing was going to be out of the question for a while. He might hurt himself. "Let's open the window in the bedroom and I'm picking the book this time."


	13. Through the Eyes of A Child

**Chapter 13: Through the Eyes of A Child**

Saguru yawned and woke a couple days later to find Kaito gone. He sat up, careful of his wrist since it hurt to bend it now that the skin was so tense. He headed to the bathroom first and then to the kitchen. "Kaito? Kaito!" He huffed and looked up at the hole in the roof. "If you want breakfast, get down here!" He waited and got no response. Deciding Kaito was napping, he grabbed some fruit instead and ate that with some milk. Another hour and he started to panic, yelling up more and finally risking it. His wrist killed and he knew some of the blisters burst because of the moisture but the empty roof hurt most of all.

"Kaito... KAITO!" He ran around the edge of the roof to see if Kaito somehow, accidentally, fell off or got stuck but he was nowhere to be found. He dropped to his knees, numb and shocked. Kaito would not leave him. He had been an idiot a couple days ago but Kaito... he promised he would get both of them out. Saguru shook his head. He could not do this alone. He was scared and now, without Kaito, the house was even worse. It only took a few more hours and Saguru had packed several books, blankets, pillows and as much of the food that did not need to be cold and got them to the roof. Kaito had done the lantern yesterday but Saguru sent out another, saying Kaito was gone and he was staying on the roof, he even admitted he was scared. He added a drawing of what he could see and a promise to send another that night before letting it go.

Kaito wasn't all that surprised to have woken on the floor. It was dark though and he was sure he had slept well enough that he didn't feel tired when he blinked his eyes open. It shouldn't be that dark. Looking around... he was downstairs. How had that happened? He quickly found that this situation wasn't as simple as it seemed. It was _impossible_ to get back up, as the door for some reason had some sort of protection on it this time. He tired chipping away at the wall instead to no avail, finally hitting on it, trying to get a response from the other side. He didn't get one. In the dark, alone, and with nothing to eat but what he could pick off from everything else, he found himself huddled in a corner, trying to figure out a way to get himself out.

Shuichi was on his last few days of the week he promised to stay. He barely caught enough to keep them healthy and he was missing his own town. He ventured out each day in search of the children for a bit but came back with little. It was clear that there were a few others venturing into the woods as well, as he could find signs of activity, but nothing from the children aside from a few more of those strange, edible lanterns which he turned over to Toichi whenever he came across them. Finding little to do, he knew he wouldn't be staying much longer and he was afraid of what the man would do when his back was turned, or what he'd do if he became desperate enough.

Toichi had been slightly uplifted with the notes until Shuichi brought back the first one from Kaito and then one from Saguru that said he had been left all alone. The drawing of the tree line was interesting and he hoped that it would give them something more to go on.

Shuichi felt like he was getting closer because he kept finding these little paper things that couldn't survive long if he'd left them. It wasn't truly getting him closer and the next day he didn't go out looking. "This is impossible. If they're somehow being kept from me, since I see no other way I can't have found them by now unless this is some hoax you're playing on me, we aren't going to win. And _if_ I were to believe in all this craziness, I'd suggest something like fighting magic with magic, though I'd have no idea how to go about that myself. We're getting nowhere so writing Yusaku probably wouldn't be the worst idea. I'll leave that up to you though."

Toichi rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. "Makes me wish I knew another witch or wizard. Rumors only help so much and as much as I want it, I have no magic." He clenched his fists, wanting nothing more than to have a way to find his boys. "Too bad I can't fly like those lanterns."

"Nothing with the aiming you would want could fly that low." Shuichi had thought about that, unsure if he'd be as lost above the trees as he would below them. Again, considering he'd heard nothing of the house before, it was likely hidden well. "If we did try to make one though, going light and small wouldn't be a bad idea. We'd need someone like a kid though, and I don't think I'd trust only to be able to fly it. I'm no engineer." That old man who worked at the factory was though. That was a bunch more time going back and not having food enough to feed anyone willing to help. "Much as I hate to tell you this, I think any number of people back home would be able to help you better."

Toichi nodded, deciding to leave the house and everything for Sharon to use or sell if need be until he sent for her. Being back at the other town would allow him to work more while working on a way to find his boys. "We can leave by noon and thank you for all your help so far."

Shuichi nodded, looking back towards the forest. "I haven't been able to do much. At least you know they're out there."

…

Shuichi didn't have much to pack and he grabbed what few of his things he brought before finding Toichi in the house. While he knew the man wouldn't want to leave, as the boy's father and with them so close, this wasn't his job to do either. That didn't mean he could just walk away from it though. "I'll come back with you. I hate something being just out of my reach."

"I would appreciate the help." Toichi slung a pack on his back and took a deep breath. He thought it had been hard backing away last time when they were safe. It was both harder and easier this time. He knew they needed help and where the best help was but going away from them to get that help tore his heart in half. "If you're ready, let's go."

Shuichi nodded. He had a smile on his face. While he didn't know a way around this, they knew what they were up against now and at least that bookworm would have some idea what to do about it.

Toichi had his mind on the problem, knowing he needed to come up with an idea to implement. The flying idea was something he kept coming back to, but the 'how' was harder. It had to be lightweight enough to hold but strong enough to hold his weight. He found himself trying to think of different ways and disregarding them with a slight wave of his hand.

Shuichi traveled back with him, noticing that the man's wife was left behind. He would be back soon and he figured that she could manage on her own. She had before he'd shown up. He was going to rest the night at town though while Toichi gathered whomever he thought necessary.

Toichi headed straight to Yusaku's house once they reached the town, thanking Shuichi once more and letting him know he would find him once they set out again. He knocked on the door, hoping to speak to Yusaku for ideas first before heading home so they could both think during the night.

Shinichi opened the door when he heard someone knocking. He looked at the man outside, tipping his head a bit. He'd seen him maybe once or twice, speaking with his dad. He didn't know what for though. A lot of people spoke with his parents. "Hello."

Toichi blinked, doing a double take as he felt some relief. Saguru had said Kaito had disappeared but to see him here, whole, safe but not seeming to know him. "Kaito."

"Huh?" Shinichi backed up, feeling ill at ease all of a sudden. His parents weren't home, he was old enough to take care of himself, and something told him something was wrong. He went to close the door, stopping halfway with his foot in front of it as much as he could so the man couldn't push it open easily. "My parents aren't home right now. What do you want?"

Toichi was on one knee now and saw the slight differences in the eyes and posture. It was more like a mix of Kaito's appearance and Saguru's stance. He sighed, realizing his mistake. "I'm sorry. You must be Shinichi, Yusaku's son. You look a lot like my son, Kaito. I'm sorry to startle you."

Shinichi slowly opened the door again. "It's okay. Dad's not here right now if you need him, and I haven't seen anyone named Kaito if you're looking for them here either."

Toichi smiled sadly, debating briefly how much to tell the boy but finding himself treating him like Kaito or Saguru and not wanting to hide anything. "Well, I am but he and Saguru were kidnapped last week and I would like your father's help finding where they are."

Shinichi shrugged. "He left with mom yesterday. It sounded like he might be gone a while. Agasa's looking after me until he gets back." Dad and mom went away a lot. It was just what they did. "I'm not sure how you can kidnap anyone though. I mean, there's not a lot of people who could be the kidnapper."

 _"Unless they're a witch."_ Toichi huffed under his breath, having become surer it was this Akako behind it, since the boys were at her house and almost completely cut off from them.

"There's no such thing as witches," Shinichi informed him. He didn't think he had to tell a grown up that.

Toichi shook his head. "I said that a week ago too, but I have seen lanterns made of candy and been made to forget my family when I was wearing a necklace. There are things that can't be explained just by science."

"You're just not looking hard enough. If magic is the explanation, fine, then there's logic behind everything - even that I'd bet." Shinichi knew that, given enough time, he was sure science could explain magic, just a different, self-contained logic.

Toichi smiled a little at the blunt, Saguru-like logic. "Maybe you can help me think of a way to fly over the trees too."

Shinichi had to laugh. "Why would you want to do that?"

"Because I know my sons are in the woods but it's been really hard to locate them from the ground. Saguru sent a drawing of the tree line from the roof of the house." Toichi had been a little hesitant about showing it so soon but he pulled out his pack and carefully removed the picture Saguru had sent.

Shinichi took the picture. He knew he couldn't draw much better. It wasn't good and it wasn't any real way to tell what trees. "Where'd you get it? I thought you said they were kidnapped."

"These are what my boys are sending with lanterns made of candy. It's how I know they're in the woods somewhere."

"Well, that one's easy." Shinichi didn't even think he had to say it. "Use the same idea. They're using lanterns, right? Why not use a kite or something?" He shrugged. It would be above the trees then and it'd be really hard to miss.

"They may have tried but have you ever stretched a piece of candy floss through a tree? If I had a way to get a message back to them without scaring the scarce wildlife, I would." Toichi rocked back on his heel and blinked before he started to laugh. "Out of the mouths of babes." He never thought of such a... a child like object. "I never thought to use a toy. Tell me, do you think Agasa could make a few with messages on it for me?"

"Of course. Even _I_ could do that." Shinichi didn't see what was so difficult about it. He'd even made a kite himself with a picture on it.

"That would be great." Toichi thought for a moment before coming to a decision. "Can you write 'Messages received' on one and suggest a kite in return. If he can send up a full time signal or direct us, that would be great..."

Shinichi was stating it, as it was easy to do it, not that he wanted to. He didn't mind though. His mom and dad even had the supplies for it. "'Make a kite' seems like an easy enough thing to write on the second one. They'd have to be blind not to see it if they're just below the tree line."

Toichi managed a smile and nodded. "That would be wonderful." He had so many things he wanted to say but the simple solutions and the offer to help made it harder to get it out. "Can you let me know when they're done?"

"Sure." Shinichi ran a hand through his hair. It shouldn't take him long. "I guess. Mom has some extra cloth I can use. This is kind of boring though."

"I know but it will hopefully help save them and knowing Kaito, he will make sure you are never bored again."

That made Shinichi smile. "I doubt that. I get bored a lot." Even an adult was here, not as smart as he was and asking him for his help. It was all so boring. "Mom and dad are gone. Let me go with you. You believe in witches, right? I'm interested."

Toichi nodded and stood, motioning with his hand. "If you still don't, maybe you can tell me how the boys disappeared from the room without moving the blankets as well as locking the door from the inside. Although, you should let Agasa know you're leaving."

Shinichi nodded. It seemed like fun. He had nothing to do with his spare time and school was boring. Mom and dad took him out enough he was sure no one would care. "Where should I meet you?"

"I'm heading to the mill first so I'll wait for you there."

Shinichi nodded. He wasn't interested in making the kites but the faster he made them the faster he could get to getting out of here. "Sure. See ya."

...

Saguru kept picking up a knife, wondering if he should try and cut the band. His mind said it might work better than teeth but his promise to Kaito not to do something stupid again would make him put it down. He sent another lantern, glad everything kept coming back so he didn't run out. He was up to three a day, just for something to do when he wasn't reading, checking the edges or, less often, crying. Saguru drew the surroundings again and again, taking the time to yell as loud as he could for his brother in between.

After the first day stuck in, apparently, the basement and unable to get out, Kaito was bored. He'd tested the weird vials that he could reach, in the end seeing if any could get the door open. None did and they didn't come back like the house. It was dark down here and he couldn't move very fast or risk tripping over something. That didn't stop him from having another look around. Bored and unable to do anything, he slept on the stairs, seeing if Saguru couldn't get the door open on his end. It wasn't like there was anything to do around here and all he had to eat was candy. He was at least thankful there was a bathroom down here.

Toichi was glad the wind was strong today and he could only hope that it was able to get the kite above the tree line and continue for Saguru to get one of his own up so they could see it and get a fix on him at least.

Shuichi was out here to look for the kids. He didn't fly kites. He left that to the little boy - who'd likely be better at it anyway - and Toichi while he smoked and waited.

Shinichi got out the first kite that simply said 'got ur map' It was shorter and easier to see from a distance. He would have said something more specific but he only picked up the details on the way here. He wanted to have a look around so he handed the kite over. "You know how to fly one, right?"

"It's like riding a horse." Toichi took the kite and set it up, sending up a quick prayer that Saguru would see them as he finagled the first one into the breeze and up toward the tree line.

Shinichi took the other kite. It would be hard for a kid in the woods, who could somehow see over the trees, to miss the white flying objects. He wanted to check the place out still but he was interested if they would get any type of response.

Toichi kept the kite above the tree line, watching the trees so he knew when a breeze was coming and could adjust so that the kite wasn't pulled away. "Shinichi, how good are you at climbing trees?"

Shinichi raised an eyebrow. "Pretty good I guess." Getting up was fairly easy. Getting down, well, as long as someone was there to catch him, wasn't that hard. "Why?"

"If he sends something up, you would see it faster up there."

Shinichi rolled his eyes. "We'll see it soon enough if he can make one. It's a _kite_." Really, this guy was a little crazy.

Toichi smiled. "True, however we have no idea how far in he is and it would be easier to see from higher up than try to catch it at an angle."

"I can't really fly this and climb, and getting it up after I'm in the tree is impossible." Not to mention he'd have to find a tree taller than the other trees with a thick enough branch higher up. He probably could, but he'd have to walk around and find one that fit that description.

"I have two hands so I figure, in an hour or so, you can check."

Shinichi looked up at the kite, shading his eyes a bit. "Sure." He'd look around the forest after. He didn't know anything around this area.

Toichi shifted the kite, glad the boy could check for him. He would tie off the kite and climb it himself if he had needed to. Toichi checked the sun for the time and took a deep breath. One hour, please let Saguru see this and signal them back.

Saguru had been drawing another picture for his next lantern when something to his left changed. It took a while to realize it was neither a cloud nor a bird but a kite, two of them, with _writing_ on them. He laughed for the first time since Kaito had disappeared and wiped his eyes. They were looking. They were still looking. He had stuff for his lantern and if he used his laces and his belt, he could make a strong enough cord to keep it nearby and the lantern would shine in the dark too. It would be perfect. He set to work getting his laces off and tying everything off, double checking it before sending it up and making sure the end was tied to his wrist so he couldn't lose it.

Shinichi handed over his kite when his dad's friend asked him to, running around the perimeter of the forest and looking for the tallest tree. He climbed up one he noticed sticking up a bit above the others, easily finding hand holds. Trees were about the only thing that kept him away from his mom when she was in a mood. He looked over what he could see of the forest once he reached the tallest point, having to climb a bit more on an unsteady limb to see further than a couple dozen feet. He didn't miss the other strand-thing in the sky. "Well, it's not a kite. What an idiot." He'd never be able to keep track of something so short. He had wanted the other kid to 'cast out' towards them so he could follow the kite or, if the house was as impossible to get to as he said, let the kid crash the kite and they'd grab it, almost like a fishing lure. "Worth a shot though." He just had to try and find the location. It looked pretty far into the woods.

Toichi glanced over again to check on the boy only to see him take off away from him and into the woods. "Shinichi? Where are you... " Toichi huffed. With the similarities to his boys, why would he be surprised the kid would take off on his own?

Shinichi couldn't see the weird thing in the sky from down here but he knew around the spot where it had to be coming from. He kept going, turning back only when he was sure he'd gone too far. He circled around, frowning. Something wasn't making sense. He was sure he was off course when he noticed the sun was more left of him than it should be. He tried heading towards it, seeing when the sun would shift at an angle even if he wouldn't move at one - at least not on purpose. "Hm." He sat down in the grass, his hand on his chin. Magic, huh? "Hey!" he shouted. "Are you out there somewhere?!"

Saguru almost cried with relief at the sound of another voice. "Hello! Tell me I am not delusional!"

Shinichi couldn't believe that he was actually hearing someone. "You're not! Keep talking! None of us can seem to get to you!" If he used the other kid's voice he might be able to pinpoint him.

Saguru took a deep breath to compose himself and started talking. "Alright. I have not seen Miss Akako since we got here and my brother went missing from beside me and I have not seen him since." He gave what information he could, describing the bracelet, what Miss Akako if he saw her as well as what Kaito looked like, in case he was out there somewhere, hurt and unable to get back to either of them.

Shinichi half closed his eyes, trying to forget about the sun and where it was, thinking only about the voice and not tripping over any sticks. He was rather surprised when the trees thinned out suddenly and he was in front of a house. He blinked at it a few times, walking up along side it and touching it. It smelled like.. candy. He could hear the other kid still, yammering away about his family. How could he hear him and not see him? It kind of sounded like the voice was coming from above him. "Hey, you can be quiet now. Can you get down here?" This was all so weird... and interesting.

"I need to go down through the house, I can open the door but I can not make it passed the outside of the- " Saguru pressed up against the barrier, leaning on thin air was disconcerting but it was all he could do, finally making out the boy down below. "Ka-Kaito? How... did you forget me like father did? Kaito, it's me, Saguru." He felt his heart tear as he turned and hurried down the makeshift pile. He ran to the door and threw it open, hope and hurt mixed when he thought Kaito had been cursed. "Kaito."

Shinichi rolled his eyes. "Your dad did that too. Why in the world do I look so much like your brother?" They certainly didn't act alike, if even half the stories he heard about the other were true. He wasn't about to get tackled by the other kid for his mistake. "I'm Shinichi. I'm not, and never have been, your brother. I don't even live around here. My dad is Yusaku Kudo, not your dad. I'm not sure if you met him or not but your dad knows him."

Saguru nodded, noticing the difference now. "I know Mr. Yusaku. Your mother bakes those really good cookies and even figured out about the cursed necklace on my father." Saguru pressed against the invisible barrier and looked around. "Is my father here? Or yours?"

"He was behind me somewhere." Shinichi looked back into the forest. "Are the kites still up in the air? He stayed back if they are."

"Hmmmm, by the time I heard you they had moved a little and one of them collapsed, the other bounced the entire time... I wonder if he tied it off like I did to the lantern." Saguru tilted his head. "You have no bracelet right, like this?" Saguru showed the one on his hand.

Shinichi checked over the bracelet Saguru was wearing. He looked at his own wrists just to be nothing had appeared since he last looked. "Doesn't look like I do. Here. Maybe I can take it off. Your dad was kind of talking about everything that happened, even if it wasn't all in order. If my mom and dad got his necklace off, maybe I can get your bracelet off."

Saguru nodded eagerly. "Please, do. This is as far as I can go."

Shinichi looked around the door as he took a step in. He couldn't believe someone could get locked in here just because of a bracelet, but his dad had made it seem like there was some type of something going on with the necklace. He was guessing hypnotism by whoever gave them the items, making them think they couldn't do or remember this or that. It made sense to him. He stopped before doing more than shifting the bracelet. "You're hurt."

Saguru shifted and looked down. "I wanted to try and get it off so we could escape. It withstood the candle flame better than my wrist. Kaito already yelled at me for it... he disappeared by the next morning. Please, just get it off me."

Shinichi shrugged, shifting it around a bit. There didn't seem to be any catch holding it closed and it was too small to just pull off. "I'm not really sure how to." He looked past Saguru and into the house for some idea, marveling at how nice it looked, and smelled, inside. "It feels stronger than rubber so nothing sharp will really work and you can't really get it hot enough to break it with just a fire." He let go of him, putting a hand to his chin while he thought. Pulling him out was an option if magic wasn't involved, but to save the other kid's mental state he had to find a way to get the bracelet off.

Saguru clenched his fists, leaning fully against the open air of the doorway, eyes searching for his father between the trees before something occurred to him. "Shinichi, were there any signs of someone else out there?"

"I didn't really see any obvious ones, but I wasn't looking. Your dad wanted the kites up first and then I went after you so there wasn't much time." Two heavy things attached to it might work but it would be hard to pull off without a machine. He was sure if there were clippers that Saguru would have tried them. He sighed. "This... witch, was a girl, right? She's got a nail file somewhere. Move a second, I'll go find it."

Saguru moved back a moment. "Wait, only come in a little, make sure you can get back out. As glad as I am to have someone to talk to, I do not want someone else stuck here too."

Shinichi had already only come in a little to be able to touch him. He took a step in though and then a step out. No one had time to either hypnotize him or spell him. "I'm fine." He entered again, looking around the rooms to find either a girl's bedroom or the bathroom.

Saguru breathed out and motioned to him. "Her room and things are down in the basement but it sealed off. She has shelves of potions down there and I tried getting to them after Kaito disappeared, to get this off. It may be the bracelet stopping me so you may be able to get to it."

Shinichi nodded and went to where there was an obvious trap door in the floor. He pulled on it, repositioning his grip, and pulled on it once more before letting out a heavy breath. "Nope, I can't get down there either." He was still going to check the bathroom, and he had a fairly good idea of how to get down the door.

Saguru sighed and walked toward the bathroom he had been using, snapping the handle off and toying with it. He was so sick of the house and doubted he would eat anything overly sweet ever again. "This is the only other one."

Shinichi turned at the noise and blinked at Saguru. "How did you do that?"

Saguru looked down and shrugged. "It's just like breaking a piece of chocolate. The small part of the handle breaks if I push down on the big part hard enough. I do it every time I go to the bathroom." He held it out to Shinichi. "I do not eat it anymore. I cannot stand it. You can try it if you want."

Shinichi took the handle on instinct, nipping a bit on it and finding it really was chocolate. He had thought that the house was some kind of... set up or something. "That's... pretty amazing." Was it magic? Was it something else? _Had_ someone met up with him and he hadn't noticed? He shook his head, looking around. Magic, huh? Magic was going to beat a file, even if he found one. The house, the bracelet, the necklace. Candy and jewelry. It definitely spoke of a woman but... he'd never had to figure out magic before. He _couldn't_ figure it out. No one had... a few people had written books on it but it was all fictional. Shinichi sat down on the floor, feet up and his hands steepled under his chin. "Give me a minute."

Saguru had to fight a laugh, seeing someone that did still look like Kaito acting like that. He had tried figuring things out but, like the cow, maybe he missed something without meaning to.

The bracelet was magic. The house was magic. The house could be broken, the bracelet couldn't, but they were somehow connected to one another. It was like a.. field or something. But it wasn't just the bracelet that couldn't pass, it was Saguru, so... Shinichi stood up fast, grabbing Saguru's unharmed hand and running to the door with a smile on his face. "I have an idea."

Saguru gasped and hurried to keep up, confused for the moment before seeing that he was not going to stop. He felt sick to his stomach, certain that it would hurt but, maybe with Shinichi holding him, it would work. He closed his eyes, waiting for the impact but hoping it never came.

Shinichi skidded to a halt near the door, wanting to roll his eyes when he turned and Saguru made a face like he was about to throw him into a wall. "Think about it. You were leaning on thin air. That means the bracelet isn't the thing that's stuck in the house, it's you, the person wearing it. Well, what if we trick it?" Shinichi stood just outside the door and held his hand back inside. "Put your hand out as far as you can."

Saguru shrugged and reached out, feeling when he was stopped at the doorway itself. "That is as far as I can go."

"That's fine." Shinichi grabbed hold of his hand. He brought his other in the house and slid his fingers under the bracelet some. It was tight enough not to come off but it wasn't like it was against his skin. "This might hurt but I want it to work, okay?" 'Wearing', hopefully, was a loose term when it came to magic.

Saguru nodded, kind of seeing where it was going and it was something he and Kaito were unable to do in their own. "If it was not crazy enough that I would be an idiot, I would have cut it off by now. I would take any pain to get out."

Shinichi winced, trying to get his hand under the bracelet then. It wasn't like he was getting it off but if the house thought the wearer was outside, odds were Saguru would be able to just walk out. He didn't think that a bracelet could tell the difference between two people, and even if it could, he doubted it could tell which one its wearer was supposed to be. He got four fingers under it and left it on his palm, hurting the bone a bit to do so, knowing his thumb would never fit. Hopefully the sliding didn't bother the bandages much. He was pretty sure that pressure didn't matter. "Okay, try and walk out."

Saguru bit his lip and took a step forward, a smile spreading when he took another and another. He was out. He was OUT! He wrapped his free arm around the other boy's shoulder, hugging him quickly and thanking him a few times before pulling away. "I need to look around. There has not been a storm since Kaito left so if he did, there has to be tracks around here."


	14. Golden Apple

**Attention from LitD:** I'm posting this story all at once. I do not have time to look over all of it, and quite a bit of the old stuff needs fixing when I do get around to it, but I didn't want it to sit on my hard drive and rot away so, here's the rest of the story.

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Golden Apple**

Shinichi grabbed him by the shirt before he ran off, pulling his fingers back out of the bracelet and shaking them. "Sure thing. I'm not doing that again though so don't go back in the house."

"I never want to go in there anyway. Thank you." Saguru crouched and started searching the ground for footprints or marks from Kaito getting away, even if he was starting to doubt that he could if he needed another person. He had almost circled the house, checking up to the trees to find any hint of him leaving.

Shinichi had time on his hands. He was kind of surprised that Saguru's father wasn't here yet, but that could wait. He went inside, touching and... tasting some of the house, seeing what was where. It was interesting.

Saguru bit his lip and circled again before calling out several times for Kaito. His second time around, yelling for Kaito, he heard something in the bushes. It was not quiet, that was for sure. "Kaito!? Kaito is that you!?"

Shuichi was definitively hearing the kids but he couldn't seem to be able to find them. Shinichi had even vanished into thin air. "If you're playing some kind of trick, get your butt or butts over here right now!" He wasn't their father, no, but he was sure hanging upside down from an animal trap for a while would be a good enough threat.

"This is no trick. Shinichi went in the house to look around and I am not leaving him and I am starting to think Kaito is here. There are no tracks. Please, just..." Saguru bit his lip and went to the house, pulling off a piece from the outside of the window and heading back to the tree line. "Here!" He threw the piece into the biggest opening he could, hoping it went far enough that they could find it.

Shuichi sighed, having stayed close to Toichi. "Your kid, right?"

Toichi nodded, finally getting over the lump in his throat at losing another boy and finally hearing one of his boys' voice. "Saguru. Saguru, stay where you are for the moment. This forest keeps turning us around!"

"Father!" Saguru wanted to run to him but he would not leave without Shinichi or not knowing where Kaito was. "The lantern is still attached to the roof, maybe you can see it and use it."

Toichi looked over at his companion. "If we can get a fix on them, do you think you could check for tracks surrounding it?"

"Surrounding the kid? Yeah, I can look for tracks anywhere. Doing it here when we keep walking in circles isn't going to help."

"He said the lantern is still there, we can use it as a central point." Toichi looked around. If he was working with something, he could set up boundaries. "Maybe we can mark the trees once we locate the house. Circle it like a fence, little by little." He looked up, debating on going up the tree himself to get a fix on what direction they needed to go.

"Easier said than done, especially from where we are." Shuichi wasn't even going to bother. He stopped and leaned against a nearby tree. "We couldn't get to it before, we can't get to it now. It kind of makes sense that only kids can find it."

Toichi really didn't want to give up but it would make sense. He heaved himself onto a branch anyway, going halfway up and trying to spot them. "Saguru, Kaito never met up with us and we've been searching since you both disappeared!" He paused to decide how to word what he had to say next but Saguru's voice came through the trees again.

"I understand! It is so great to hear your voice again but if Kaito is still here, I will not leave without him! No tracks... I can have Shinichi try the basement door again!"

Shinichi heard Saguru shout to him from the other end of the house, something about getting through the trapped door. He had been going to try that anyway, once he had a look around. He stared back up at the hole that was somehow still in the ceiling. The house was strange but changes that were made that _wanted_ to be made, stayed changed. "I'll figure it out!"

"Thank you and sorry I cannot help. My father and someone else is nearby but they could follow my voice like you did. Let me know if you want a rock or something."

Shinichi smirked to himself. Oh, he was going to use something better than a rock. "I'm fine!"

Saguru nodded and took a step back, turning to check out the surroundings again. It was great to be outside and he took the chance to break off a tree branch, feeling wood instead of sweets. He started digging at the corner of the house, poking the stick in to loosen the dirt before swiping it away.

Shinichi got up to the roof. There was a fireplace so of course there was a chimney. He picked away at the bricks, the structure itself heavy. He just needed to make a hole in the roof over the trap door.

Saguru sighed, wiping his forehead. He did not want to admit it was not working but at the same time, he could not give up. He already felt a huge amount of guilt that, if Kaito was stuck in the basement this entire time, it was his fault for sitting on the roof, in the sun, instead of trying harder to check the basement. "Kaito, I am so sorry I thought you left. I should have trusted that you would not leave without me."

Shinichi heard Saguru, peaking over the edge of the roof. He still didn't want the other kid back in the house. "Are you talking to me?"

Saguru looked up and shook his head. "No, just trying to see if my brother can hear me."

"If he can, tell him to stay away from the door. I'm going to try breaking in, 'breaking' being the key word there."

Saguru smiled at that and replied wryly. "He will approve."

"Hey, sometimes you need to use force." Shinichi kind if wished an adult was here to help him push what intact part of the chimney he was going to be dealing with, but it looked like Saguru was glued to the house in a whole different way now. And of course the other kid couldn't help him with this task either because it would involve going back into the house. "Think you can get me some help, actually?"

"What do you need?" Saguru knew he could not help and he had told him father could not reach them but he could put together something from the things around here, having had practice over the past week.

"I need another pair of hands." Shinichi left the chimney. He'd gotten what he needed loose anyway. He'd need to make the hole now. He went to the edge of the roof and looked down, thinking. "I'm not even sure this is going to work. Hhhhnnn. If it's like your bracelet, only the door doesn't open for anyone, I'm not sure what else to do besides brut force. Pretty sure that and magic can't really go toe-to-toe either."

"I would help but even if I went in, my bracelet may hurt more than help. Maybe I could figure out a way to help from out here." Saguru got up and looked through the door toward where the basement was and then behind him at the trees. If he could get something with speed, like a slingshot, it could help.

"Nah. If I'm doing this alone, get comfortable. I'm not even sure where the hole needs to go so it's going to take half an hour at the shortest." Shinichi went to where he had tried to judge the trap door to be. He never stopped something once he started unless he was sure it wouldn't work. He just hoped that, on the off chance that it did, the other kid wasn't going to get hurt.

Saguru sighed before grabbing a thick branch, hitting the floor just inside the door with it. It was a simple message, if Kaito remembered his attempts to teach him how to recognize the taps. 'Three quick taps, one long, quick tap and a long, another long, quick tap, two long. Quick tap long, quick tap two long, quick tap and a long, another long, quick tap, two long. Two quick taps, a long and a quick, quick tap, long and a quick tap, three long, two long. One long and two quick taps, three long, three long, one quick, one long and one quick ' He repeated the four words, hoping Kaito heard.

Shinichi could hear the knocking as he was digging away at the roof. It took him a second run-through to understand what Saguru was doing, thinking he was just digging away - though loudly - again. "You two know Morse code?" He had to admit, he was surprised. His mom had complained that there was no point learning it because he'd never use it.

"I do, I thought it would prove useful. I went through it with Kaito but he was either hanging from tree branches or trying to scale the rafters in the barn. I have no idea if he truly took it in but," Saguru tilted his head a little. "I am glad I am not the only one."

Shinichi didn't know if he was glad, just surprised, and continued picking away as the harder... cookie? part of the roof. He had a small hole and noticed that he'd have to move towards the center more. The roof being at a slant had thrown him off. "I'm the only other person in town besides my parents who would know it, so I'm not sure if you'll ever need to use it again, and your brother... he sounds kind of crazy."

"He is on the crazy side," Saguru replied with a slight smile, "I have called him that to his face, and stubborn, but he is my big brother and I should have known he would not have left me behind." Saguru felt the guilt take over again and knew he would say sorry for the rest of his life to get forgiveness.

"Get out? This house is full of bracelets and locked doors. I'm surprised _I_ got _in._ " And that thought there made Shinichi pause. He stood up from what he was doing and went back to the edge of the roof. "Hey, if they can't find this house, how come I could?"

Saguru paused and looked up, frowning now. "That... I know she said it was protected but maybe the... protection spell or whatever does not count you as a threat? You are not an adult or a wild animal."

"And adults aren't threats. I mean, most of them aren't anyway, not any more than most people our age are." Shinichi didn't like this. He was getting down. He needed to check something or at least speak to Saguru face to face.

"Well, she is a witch so adults might be considered that way to her. She made herself our age when we went to town."

Shinichi went back through the house and looked around once he was back out, happy that he was able to walk out and everything. He didn't want a bracelet or whatever mind tricks were being played to be turned on him. "This witch, what were you saying she did? People can't just... de-age."

Saguru shrugged. "She was a teenager or something when we met her and then, I guess she did not like Miss Akako too much, she made herself shrink to our height, like another eight year old. I would not have believed it if I did not see it either so I can not blame you."

"How do you know she's really a teenager then?"

"Well, I know I can not appear that tall and... well, she had... " Saguru blushed. "I guess, like our mothers."

Shinichi frowned and narrowed his eyes, trying to get his mind around whatever Saguru was saying and failing to do so. "What?"

Saguru really wished he had another way to say it without sounding like an idiot. "Her top was bigger, alright. Only older girls are that way."

Shinichi had to laugh. "Not that. If she can make herself look from teenage age to an eight year old, how do you know she was really a teenager?"

"From what she could do, if she is not a teenager she may be older, she can cook really well, like Miss Azusa."

Shinichi knew he couldn't cook but he'd never really tried. His mom had tired to get him to do it a few times and he'd slipped away with the help of his dad or a book. He wasn't sure how young girls learned stuff like that. "I don't see why it would keep out adults though... I wish I'd gotten to look around. Your dad was all into finding you and I never had time to do anything other than the kites and then heading over here. I'm going to go find them. If I found you once, I'll find you again."

"Alright, their voices were coming from that way and I could hear them clearly so you should not have trouble." Saguru pointed straight at the opening to the left of him.

Shinichi nodded and darted towards the area he had pointed. He was a bit worried that it had been a fluke that he had found Saguru at all but at least the other boy could leave now as well. That left only one more. This was fun and exciting but he didn't want to be trapped in that house and he had a bad feeling that he might be. That was something he wanted to talk to the other two adults about. They were hard to miss, what with the smell of smoke, and Shinichi walked up to Saguru's father before looking back the way he had come. "Something is keeping you away from the house, isn't it?"

Toichi breathed out in relief when Shinichi returned and nodded. "Whenever we tried to get closer, we circle it. How is Saguru?"

"Hm... upset I guess, but happy kind of? I think he has some abandonment issues but, considering I can't get him to leave of his own free will, I'm not sure. He's a weird guy and I didn't know him before now. We can't seem to find his brother so we're working on that. I'm worried though. It really is a house... made of candy. You can even eat it and it's not stale or anything. That seems like a big trap to grab kids." If he stayed it might get him too. "I want to help but I can't get him to leave and I don't know if I want to get trapped in there too."

"He wouldn't leave his brother but days on his own could do that. I'm glad he's not hurt. Maybe you can lead us yourself."

"I was hoping I could but you can't see the house from here at all so I can't be sure if I lose my bearings or not." Shinichi was hoping for something to look for to lead them back but even the trees seemed to shift now. "Magic kind of sucks."

"If you can follow Saguru's voice, maybe you can guide us."

Maybe he could. That had been how he found him to begin with. "Hey! Keep talking again! Round 2!"

Saguru looked over and straightened. "Alright! I tried to dig a hole into the lower wall but that seems to be resisting as much as the basement door inside! I have heard no replies either to my messages so either he is unable to understand of unable to answer!"

Shinichi was more than a little surprised when he was able to make it back to the house, seeing that Saguru had moved a bit to be able to shout to them. "Huh."

"Father!" Saguru ran over, not caring that he was crying now as his father knelt and wrapped his arms around him. He heard his talking but just let it wash over him, not paying attention to the words.

Toichi held Saguru tightly, apologizing for taking so long and how thankful he was Saguru was alright. His eyes drifted to the house where Kaito was likely still trapped and, even believing the boys, it was a shock to see in person. He looked back down at Saguru and carefully tried to move him away so he could check him over himself.

Shuichi whistled, putting out his cigarette. Wow, it really was a house made of candy. And he _hadn't_ been able to find it. If that wasn't magic he didn't know what was. He went over, checking it out, not daring to trust this newly discovered phenomenon enough to step inside.

Saguru kept his eyes down when his father saw the bandage on his wrist and had to tell him about how he tried to get it off. He waited for it to be unwrapped and checked, wincing a little when he did something before wrapping it again. "Sorry, father. I know it was stupid."

"It's alright, I did some stupid things trying to find you two. Promise you never do it again, deal?" Toichi made sure to make Saguru look him in the eye when he said that and the nod and 'yes' were enough for him. "Now to figure out how to get Kaito."

"I'm not even sure he's still here." Shinichi put a hand to his chin. "The basement was her room, yes? If it was he would have come across her, right? You said some weird things about the way they vanished from the house. I'm not all that surprised there aren't footprints but that doesn't help anything." Shinichi frowned, wishing he'd read more books on magic.

Shuichi knocked on the side of the house. "Honestly I'm surprised we even found one of your kids. This all is pretty insane. I doubt you were involved with this witch before you came to town and the second you leave all of a sudden there's one. It seems strange."

"Well, she found us after mother left Kaito in the woods. I think it was our fault." Saguru looked over and took a deep breath. "I never told Kaito but, after we were back here instead of with father, I thought maybe she made him forget, to get us to go back to her like we did when mother was still strange when we got back to her. The thing I still am not sure of is, if she was, why did she never show up again."

Shuichi walked over to the kid, putting a hand on his head. "Not a bad thought but that's the question, and it leaves a alot of other questions and situations that could have different answers. We found you. We'll find your brother. You should really get back home though. Toichi, go on." He nodded his head. "If Shinichi can go back and forth we don't have to worry about finding this place again and I'm not going anywhere."

"But, what if Kaito thinks I abandoned him? He may already since it has been so long." Saguru wanted to stay but he also wanted to be as far away as possible.

"Then we tell him that you didn't. Go home, go rest, and both of you try and take it easy. I have to get back there or they'll be no dinner anyway so it won't be that long. Shinichi." Shuichi didn't like leaving one of the kids here but he wasn't sure what would happen if he left now. They may not be able to get back so this was the only time he could assuredly have a look around. "We'll head back in a few hours. Are you okay with that?"

Shinichi nodded. As long as there was an adult here he wasn't all that afraid of getting trapped. If this witch went so far as to keep out just older people she'd never trap him here with one. "You really should go home. You look like you're ready to cry again."

Saguru hastily rubbed his eyes and made a face before straightening and holding out his hand to the adult. "Thank you, sir. For helping my father and for staying for my brother."

Shuichi smiled and took his hand. "Half of it is out of personal interest but you're welcome."

Saguru smiled back. "I can understand that too. I guess I will owe you for the other half."

"Fine then. You get to do chores around the house until we get back. Can't eat at a dirty table now, can we?" It would give the kid something to do and it would be helping them all. He reached into his pocket. "Here. Pick up some drinks in town too."

Saguru nodded, accepting the money. "I will, sir." He turned back to his father, feeling better that this man would take care of things before pausing and looking back. "Sorry, you knew my name so I never asked, what is your name?"

"Shuichi Akai. I was getting sick of 'sir' anyway. You can call me Shuu though." The kids usually did.

"Alright Mr. Shuu, I guess I will see you back at the house. Bye Shinichi, and thank you too, for getting me out."

Shinichi nodded, going back into the house. He'd need help with the roof.

Shuichi sighed. "Just Shuu please. There is no 'misses' so it sounds weird to me. Sound's like I'm married to a shoe."

"Yes, Shuu. Bye."

Toichi had been trying so hard not to laugh at the back and forth but quickly hid it to take Saguru's hand and meet Shuu's eye. "Thank you from me as well. See you back there."

Shuichi nodded to him and turned to the house. He'd have to check it out long before he made any attempts to search for the other boy. A house of magic likely had its secrets.

...

Saguru could not believe the number of people that thought he was dead. He did not want to gossip too much but he did not like when he was asked about mother taking them into the woods herself the first time. Heading to the house with father and the drinks, he had asked if mother was better and about any necklaces or anything but father said there were none. He was worried still but as they approached the door, he hoped she was better. "Mother?"

Sharon heard who she thought was her husband return until she caught Saguru's voice as she entered the room to great him. She smiled and bent down, happy to have him back. "Oh, Saguru. I missed you. Where were you?" She had not believed her husband but he had not lied to her before. She simply wanted Saguru's input.

Saguru felt the drinks taken from his hand and, hoping she was better, took a few steps toward her. "You were different and scary, so we left with Akako to find father so you would get better. He had no idea who we were until Mr. Yusaku took that cursed necklace off him. Before we could come back, Kaito and I woke up at Akako's candy house again and we could not get, no matter what we tried. These stopped us," Saguru said as he held out his arm to show her the bracelet.

"Saguru, if I scared you it was because I was trying to teach you." Sharon did love her children. It wasn't anything as powerful as she suspected it should be, but she did care what became of them. If she led them towards a certain outcome, that she didn't mind. She didn't like her power over her family being taken in this way though. Kaito she wasn't sure if she cared as much of, but there was a principal there still. She held her arms out. "Come here."

Saguru was still uncertain how Kaito would be taught by being left in the woods but he did close the gap and hug her. It was nice and a much better reception than last time. He knew he should start on those chores and starting in the morning, he would head to town again to work. Cooking on his own had helped a little and he could use that at least.

"Saguru." Sharon ran a hand though his hair. "Don't run away again."

Saguru breathed out and smiled. "Never again, I promise."

Sharon still thought that there should be some punishment for that but there were bigger fish to fry... mainly this witch girl. While she didn't care much for her wayward son she knew it would cause problems not to have him here. The rest of her family, for one, would never shut up about it. It would have been better if he died before Toichi ever returned. Since he hadn't it was better to have him and be the victor than to have chaos in her own home and lose to someone. Being an actively practicing witch was just asking to be killed in any case. "When's the last time you bathed and had something to eat?"

"Umm, I made some eggs this morning but have not washed since yesterday." Saguru blushed and looked down. The digging had got his clothes pretty messy and he was sweating after it and the return trip home. Even with the dirt he could smell the sweetness of the house and hated it.

"Go bathe. You smell a bit unpleasant." Sharon smiled and let him go, running a hand across his cheek. "And you've been crying."

Saguru cringed a little but nodded, looking up to try and recover a little. "I will clean up the house as soon as I am done. I promise."

"Perhaps you should shower after then. I've been keeping the house clean but I don't mind some help. Getting dirty twice is silly." Sharon stood, looking him over a second time. "Though I don't suggest kneeling on the floor if you wet it. Are you hurt more than just your wrist?"

Saguru touched his bandage and shook his head. "No, this was the only injury." His heart hurt a little, or a lot, thinking of his brother, alone inside, but he was going to do what he could.

Sharon frowned and bent back down to his level. "What's the matter?"

"I used to want it to be quiet but when Kaito disappeared, it drove me crazy. I could not think and I just worry, if I thought about cutting this off when I was able to sit on the roof in the sun, what would he be thinking about doing to escape?"

Sharon brushed his hair back. "Don't worry about it. Your brother will be just fine."

Saguru smiled a little and nodded. "Shinichi did get me out and he does not have this to restrain him, with Shuu," Saguru took in a deep breath and let it out, "I know they will find him. Kaito's too stubborn to be worse off than me"

"He is. Let me see your hand a moment." Sharon extended her hand, waiting for Saguru's

"Father checked it already, the burn is healing and it does not hurt unless I bend it too much." Saguru held out his hand so she could check it herself, he knew he would if it had been Kaito, just to prove it.

Sharon held him still, using her other hand to touch the bracelet. It was a link and she wasn't about to let it be used against Saguru again. He was _hers._ Tracing a finger over it as if using it like a knife, she cut the bracelet, holding it in her hand while her finger went up and touched Saguru on his forehead. " _You're best off forgetting that I removed it. It fell off in the forest as you were walking back here."_

Toichi blinked from where he was standing in the doorway. He had taken the drinks from Saguru and put them away and watched the reunion, happy that Saguru seemed to relax more. He could not, however, believe his eyes when his wife touched the bracelet, the one he had tried so hard to remove and resigned to needing cutting tools from mill, and it simply came apart before touching Saguru's forehead, causing his eyes to become unfocused. It was all so quick before he blinked and acted normal again. He wanted to throw up but he forced himself to remain cool. He had left and she had, according to Saguru, turned on the boys, or Kaito at least. Now she removed a cursed bracelet with a touch and he had no idea what she did to him next. He realized he did not want her to know he saw it and shifted before calling out. "Sharon, are there any chores you haven't got to yet?"

Sharon smiled, standing up. "I doubt it's that bad." She turned her attention to her husband. "What about you? Are you hurt? Come here."

Toichi went over and put his arms around her, grabbing his own wrists to keep her close. "No, I learned well enough to take care of myself so I could take care of the boys when we found them." He forced himself to think only of the woman he had married, thinking back to when everything was perfect in their lives.

Sharon rested her hands on his back. She needed eye contact as well as physical. "I'll always be here if you do get hurt. Something's the matter. What is it?"

"I... I feel like I failed you. All three of you."

"And why is that? We're perfectly fine and I'm sure you'll bring Kaito home soon enough."

"They should never have been in this situation in the first place." Toichi tightened his arms a little and made sure to show regret when he looked at her. "Our boys were kidnapped when they were sleeping in the same room as me and before that, I put a lot of stress on you when I left and I feel that caused all of this. Can you forgive for everything?"

Sharon smiled kindly to him. "Of course I do. You've made my life interesting, to say the least, and I'm sure everything will work out. I think you're worried about all this magic going around. It wasn't me." She kept the eye contact. " _And you're going to forget all about anything you've seen me do that has anything to do with magic. You also remember that the bracelet fell off of Saguru while you were walking back here."_ She didn't want her husband to think their son crazy after all. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

Toichi blinked and nodded, smiling at her. "Just worried about Kaito now, that's all." He kissed her before taking a step back. "Oh, I never got an answer if there were any chores left?"

"No. I haven't had much to do and keeping the house clean while everyone has been out is easy. Saguru's going to help me make sure that I didn't miss anything. Maybe you should go sit down and rest."

"Let me know if you need any help."

Sharon nodded and went back over to Saguru. "Come on. I'm sure there's not much to do and then you can take your bath."

...

Shinichi hated losing. He hated it. He wasn't sure if it got that trait from his mother or not and he preferred not to think on it. He went around the house, stomping on the ground. Everything was edible or able to be picked at and destroyed. Why wasn't the basement? How was that even possible? Air was getting there so he was pretty sure he could get water down there but that wasn't much and didn't help _him_ get down there. If burning the bracelet didn't work he didn't think starting the house on fire would either. "This sucks!"

Shuichi smiled in the house at the kid. "I bet your dad could figure it out." He didn't want to be berate the kid for trying though. "I don't think much will work. Sound can't pass through. Think about that." Shuichi tapped the side of his head. "I'm pretty sure that means nothing can."

That was a good point. They couldn't hear anything. There was no way if sound wasn't even getting through that air was. That meant... Shinichi scratched his head. "I hate magic. It makes no logical sense."

"That _is_ what magic is, logic-defying and all."

That comment ticked Shinichi off more because he wasn't sure if the man was right or not and had a sinking feeling that he was. There just _had_ to be a way. They had to use something that wasn't just brut force. Obviously the other kid couldn't open it from the other side if he was down there. So... if air could get in between it couldn't be a barrier, it had to be the door itself. That meant the only area that was really accessible was the area between the cracks. Doing anything to anything around it, even if it was _meant_ to open upwards, didn't work. "It's not possible," Shinichi concluded. "It's just not.

I give up." Shinichi let out a breath. Saguru was a rather depressed kid and he hadn't wanted to just let this go but there was nothing more he could do. Even the hole he had made earlier was fixed now and the chimney was back in working order.

"Come on then. Nothing goes better with bad news than some dinner. I'm starving."

...

Saguru made sure everything was sparkling, thrilled that the stupid bracelet was gone. He was curious about what his father was up to but knew better than to read something meant for someone else. knew he would find out later. It had to be a big surprise or something, if they were keeping it from mother. He felt great after bathing and even though he still felt weird without his brother there, it was nice to not see candy everywhere.

Sharon hadn't been able to do much on her own since the children and Toichi had been gone. She'd, of course, made a meager living in town but it wasn't enough to have more than just some simple fruits and bread. The man her husband had brought with was a godsend and she could do nothing until he came back with a meal for her to cook so she simply prepared the plates and made a small salad to go with whatever he brought back.

Toichi had no idea why Saguru had winked at him before going outside. As much as he wanted him to stay in the house Saguru wanted to wait outside for when the others returned. He went over to Sharon and rested a hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad you and Saguru have started clearing the air."

Sharon put her hand over his. "I was trying to make sure he made the right decisions. It seems it just leads him away from me. It would help if you were the bad guy once in a while."

"I doubt they'd take me seriously if I tried. Maybe I'm too much of a kid myself."

"Being easy going is fine but they need to learn the right way too. Saguru has changed." Sharon noticed it and she liked it. "He's a lot more courageous and self-sufficient now."

"I noticed. I feel horrible for admitting it, but this may have been a good thing. I hate that it came this way and so fast but with the circumstances... " Toichi turned his hand to take hers. He could only hope that Kaito's reaction was similar and he was stronger too. He knew there were negative effects or worse outcomes but Kaito had to pull through. He knew Saguru would be close to falling a part otherwise from guilt alone.

Sharon tightened her hold on his hand a moment, letting him know she wanted to hold his hand as well. "I've missed you."

Toichi smiled and kissed her temple. "I missed you as well. It won't be long before the house is complete. I will be working to pay it off but Mr. Suzuki is having it built ahead of time."

"That's very kind of him. I'll make sure he get something special once I have food to work with again." They would be paying off a lot for some time to come but they'd have a house and income once more.

"I don't know how many sweets our boys will stand after that house but I'm sure Mr. Suzuki will enjoy them. Did you know Saguru said he doesn't want to eat chocolate ever again?"

Sharon wanted to see this house at some point. "He never liked it much to begin with and, with how hard it is to get any, I never looked a gift horse in the mouth. I'm sure I can make something other than sweets too."

"I know you can." Toichi nodded, even if he thought it was strange coming from a kid. he wondered if Kaito would have the same aversion.

...

Shuichi had a fox and a pair of jackrabbits. It was more than they needed and he was going to pass the rabbits off to a neighbor. The second he was able to see the house he noticed Toichi's son and had to sigh.

Shinichi hadn't really wanted to leave. Saguru looked really depressed but he had no idea what else there was he could do. Staying out in the cold all night wouldn't help and he was hungry.

Saguru had searched for Kaito with his eyes and could not help deflating. He had been so sure they would succeed. He headed toward them, trying to cheer up as he thought of something. "Hey, we can have a good supper tonight and I can help tomorrow. Maybe we can plan something."

"I told you I..." Shinichi looked Saguru over again. "Hey, the bracelet's gone."

"Oh, yeah." Saguru smiled. "It just came off when we were almost home. Maybe it got weaker when it was away from the house." Saguru dug into his pocket, taking out the note that father had given to him while mother had been hugging him. It seemed like it was something that should be kept secret and it had Shuu's name on it. "Here, dad gave me this for you, I think."

Shuichi frowned, taking the note and unfolding it, seeing the quickly scrawled out writing of his name and the few words that very important letter contained. "Saguru, you and Shinichi stay out here. It seems your father wants to speak with me alone." He let the children read the note, a finger up to his lips. "Just stay outside for a few minutes. This shouldn't take log." Shuichi wasn't too sure what he was supposed to do but it looked like Toichi had gotten himself in danger. Looking around the yard, he spotted a bat the children had lightly used to play ball. "How about you clean up the yard while I'm inside? The food won't be ready for a while." It also gave him a good reason to have his improvised weapon on his shoulders, watching the children see if there was anything else around the yard but both were too still and watching the house more than the area in front of them.

Being a quiet as he could, Shuichi went to the door, peeking in and seeing the woman facing away from him and intent enough at the counter. Luck must have been smiling down on him. He had no idea how to fight magic but she looked human enough and she was facing away from him as he swung the bat as hard as he could.

Toichi heard the sound and rushed to the kitchen, seeing Sharon on the floor and Shuu standing there with a bat. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked as he hurried over to check on her.

"Don't touch her just yet. Your son ran up to me and gave me this note. He said you handed it to him." Shuichi grabbed the note out of his pocket and tried to get into Toichi's way. "I figured this was the easiest solution."

"I never gave him a note," Toichi tried to say but he did catch sight of the note, enough to see his own handwriting. It was enough to make him look at the words themselves before shaking his head. It was hastily written but unmistakable and his.

Shuichi threw the bat down, going and borrowing some of the rope they had in the corner before tying up his wife. He noticed he'd made her bleed some but it shouldn't be life threatening. "So what are we going to do about all this?"

Toichi was silent for a little bit before meeting the man's eye. "Make her tell us how to get Kaito back. I know there is no way I would write this unless I was certain and that means she did something in front of me that gave herself away." He looked down, checking himself for anything different; a necklace, a ring, something he could remove to lift what had to be a blank in the recent few hours since he and Saguru arrived here. "Am I wearing anything different since I left you?"

Shuichi patted him down just to be sure and shook his head. "Nope, you're the same as you were earlier."

"Last time I lost memories was that necklace that suppressed them. This time it's like they are just gone. Did Saguru say anything to you? Did he see it too?"

Shuichi nodded. "I showed it to him. He and Shinichi are safe. He didn't mention any knowledge about it."

"That doesn't sound like him, unless he was made to forget too." Toichi cursed quietly, even though the boys weren't nearby to overhear him.

"If she's a witch we aren't going to overpower her. I took her by surprise but that's different." Shuichi went to his bag and pulled out a hunting knife, passing it over. "It's up to you."

Toichi looked at the blade but he knew he couldn't do it yet. "If we do that now, I don't know what'll happen to Kaito." He wished he knew more about a real witch's capabilities so he knew how to hold her. He closed his eyes, trying to recall when and how she managed to hypnotize him. _"...hypnotize... "_

Shuichi kept hold of the knife, just in case, watching Toichi think. "You're going to need a watch for that and I doubt you know how or that it will work on her."

"I wonder if it's what she used. That note proves I knew she was a witch but it was written quickly, as though I had no time so she had to be quick too but unable to see the note. Maybe witches don't need a watch." Illusions were one thing, this was so far from his comfort zone. "Too bad we can't take her there without the boys."

"Take her where? To the house? If you think I'm taking her on in her own place your out of your mind."

"Hm, if I had Kaito back, I'd burn that house in front of her."

Shuichi shrugged. "Kill her. I'm not sure how much I believe in these myths but we're living one. If the witch dies her magic ends. If you can't do it, I can."

Saguru slammed the door open and ran in, looking around before spotting his father and Shuu in the kitchen with their backs to him. "Father. The bracelet never fell off in the woods. Joji saw it still stuck on me on the way here. You were right but I remembered something. When Kaito and I left here with Miss. Akako as cats I could hear mother too. If mother," Saguru took a deep breath, looking at her sitting in the chair, tied to it really, and exhaled. "If mother's a witch, there are two."

Shuichi was staying armed but the kid storming in and his words got his attention. The first didn't make any sense to him but he could understand his second statement. "And here I thought one was stretching things."

Toichi was sure his hand was shaking when he knelt in front of Saguru and rested it on his shoulder. "Saguru, are you one hundred percent sure on that?" His son nodded and he studied his eyes, nodding when he saw his boy was telling the truth.

"Do... do you think she can break the spell on the house too? She had to be the one to take this off, since nothing else did."

Toichi glanced over at her and tilted his head. "She does hate losing anything." He looked over at Shuu, trying to figure out a plan.

Shuichi shrugged. "It's your family, literally."

Shinichi had come in a little after Saguru, trying to figure out what was going on. Magic was the best way to fight magic but he had no idea if Saguru's mom would help them. She'd been making food but hadn't gone out into the woods with them. It was all very confusing.

Saguru watched his father think for what felt like forever before looking at her. He tried to figure out something to help before remembering something. "Miss Akako told us she lives in the woods because others won't accept her. If mother was hiding it, she must not want anyone to know. I know it is mean but, we could tell her we will let everyone know if she does not help."

Toichi had not thought of that and outing her would be a permanent punishment. "They do seem to suspect her of enough and I doubt she is oblivious to the talk."

Shuichi laughed quietly. "Your friends already thought your wife was a witch and that didn't clue you in to any of this?"

Saguru snickered. "They said Kaito could fly. Granted, he never told me what he did to make them think that, but they latch on to anything they can talk about if things get slow."

"Well, maybe your brother can fly." Shuichi hadn't ignored the connection. "Your mom is a witch."

Saguru frowned. "If he had something, why could he not get us out? He can do tricks and things but most of the time, if I am there, I can figure it out."

Shuichi shrugged. "I'm just saying. If you out her you better be careful."

Saguru took a deep breath and walked over to his mother. He hated being betrayed almost as much as the thought of betraying someone else. It hurt him so much but he would give her the chance to prove herself. "Mother?"

Her head hurt terribly but there was something inside of her that forced Sharon to open her eyes. Her son was talking to her. She slowly became aware that she was tied up and pulled on the confines gently, looking around the room before her eyes rested back on Saguru. "And what is this?"

"You lied and tricked us. If you just told us, helped us get Kaito, did you really think we would care that you were a witch? Instead, you made me forget, and then father, right. It is the only order that makes sense. Why did you want to keep it hidden instead of helping us?"

Sharon had to wonder how all this had gotten out. Maybe she was spied on. In any case, she remained silent and smiled. "Do you think that little of me? I'm your mother."

"I thought far more of you but just stop lying." Saguru tried to fight the tears as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He thought he heard him say he didn't have to do this but Saguru needed to be the one. He knew more from his time with Miss Akako. "I can do this, father." He straightened and exhaled. "You looked at my bandage, I remember father in the doorway, watching, then you said it would be fine and walked to him. He hugged you and held something out to me. A piece of paper he forgot about writing or passing on. Joji said I still had the bracelet on when I was in town but I seem to think it fell off in the woods. NOONE should have known about it if it had. You lied and now, you need to make up for it. Otherwise... otherwise we will tell everyone about both of you."

Sharon smiled. "Did you know there's a vast difference when it comes to inherited magic? What would you have thought of me if I simply found the house with the rest of you? What you're thinking right now. You're assuming I've cast some kind of spell on you. Did you ever think that maybe there's a reason I can't help? You're a smart boy, Saguru, my favorite. You know better than that."

"You could have admitted that or said you had been scared. Even Miss Akako admitted it to us why she lived away from town. We would have kept it a secret if you wanted us too. Help us rescue Kaito and prove you are still our mother."

"You're young. You would have found some reason to brag to your friends. In any case, I'm not the kind of witch you think I am. I'm an enchanter that favors non-physical spells. That bracelet tells me the witch you've been so enamored with works with the physical. If we had to actually fight one another, I would lose."

Saguru managed a small smile at the admission and was grateful for the explanation. "Physical spell fights aside, can you break a spelled wall like you did the bracelet?"

"I might be able to, depending on how strong it is. I haven't had to cast a spell since today in over ten years." Sharon smiled up at Toichi. "Since I realized I could like someone without having to make them like me in return. It seems you no longer trust me now." The ropes and the head wound spoke for themselves. There was true sadness in her words. "I'm sorry to know that."

"If you had told me openly, I would not have cared. I did love you and while Saguru and Kaito are young, I am not. I would have protected you and loved you the same. I am sorry to know you _never_ trusted me." Toichi was beyond hurt, beyond crushed. He would have done anything for her. He had thought there were no secrets between them. "Our son is still in danger and I want to know, can I trust you this time, to help and in return, you trust me to clear your name."

Saguru looked up in surprise, not sure what his father was planning but he felt him hold him closer to his side and faced mother, waiting for her answer.

"What would it matter if I told you? After I met you I was never planning on using it again. In a sense, I wasn't a witch while you knew me, not until now. And I do not need you to clear my name. If you want to tell the world I am something I rejected, I do not mind." Sharon had loved him, truly and deeply in every sense of the word, enough to give up her birthright and have children with him. She knew now that something had grown entangled in that bond. "I'll help as much as I can but that witch, there is no way they would have been taken back without her having an active part in it. There will be a fight, and I will not stand with you." There was something cold in her husband right now that she did not want to be near. She met Saguru's eyes and smiled. "But I'll stand with you and with Kaito. I admit I've wronged him and will say I did it out of fear when I normally wouldn't have. I will not let this witch keep any son of mine."


	15. Into the Fire

**Chapter 15: Into the Fire**

Saguru did not know why but he believed she was telling the truth and smiled back. "Sorry I threatened you I just really want Kaito back and... I guess after all this, I did not like that you made me forget what you did _for_ me by doing something _to_ me."

Sharon lightly slide her finger between her hands, cutting the rope off and massaging her wrists. "That's okay. By they way, as long as I can touch something I can usually break it. I'm fairly good at that. If there's somewhere you can't get through, I should be able to. Saguru, how about we eat first and I promise that I'll help you. Magic doesn't just come out of thin air and I think we're both pretty hungry. You did a good job helping me clean."

Saguru frowned slightly, debating putting this off even longer, but if they ate, they could take some to him. He finally nodded and held out his hand. "We can go after but I want to take some extra to him. I doubt he has hand much besides the house to eat."

"I was planning on it." Sharon felt weird shaking her own son's hand but it made her smile. Her eyes turned hard on her husband and the smile turned pointed. "You will not be coming."

Saguru gave her a strange look when she shook his hand instead of using it to stand. It felt weird but if it was her 'enchantress's way' to make a deal, he would let her. Saguru did tense a little at the thought of going there without his father. He could hear him protesting but from the look, it was not working. "Mother, please, as you said, you are unable to do physical magic and what if something happens. I can not carry Kaito and there is no way you could carry him and fight. I do not care about you being a witch or enchantress. Yes I am still sad about you using it on us but I do not want to lose you like that."

Sharon put a hand on Saguru's head, trying to calm him. "I told you, if I end up fighting I will lose and I'm sure that means that something with happened to you two as well, if she has her sights set on you. I will make sure we aren't noticed and it will be a moot point." Her eyes never left Toichi's, even if it sounded like he was worried about her. He was no longer looking at her as if she were the same person and yet she knew she was. "I don't think you trust me."

Shinichi sighed. He didn't mind playing a back a back row seat in this, he had a bunch of questions about magic and witches now that he had one to ask but it didn't seem anyone cared about those kind of answers. "This isn't going to work. You're all afraid." He met Saguru's eyes first. "You're afraid of losing you brother, of what your mom can do, that you'll lose your father again." He moved on to Toichi. "You're afraid of your wife, what powers she has, if Saguru will be put in danger again, if Kaito is already in danger." Then to the witch. "And you don't know how your family is going to treat you anymore, I'm sure that's why you were keeping it a secret. You're afraid you're going to be shunned now, possibly even that you'll lose more of your family than just Kaito by doing _anything_." He tried to focus on the group as a whole. "And all that fear is making you all stupid."

Saguru bit his lip and looked down when Shinichi finished addressing him. He was right on two points, maybe underestimating even but only partly right on a third. He was terrified for his brother and felt guilty for not trying to get to the basement harder. He also did not want to lose his father, even having him with no memory was better than being alone. Mother, he was less afraid of what she could do as he was who she would do it too. She clearly turned colder to father and he did not want her to turn on him like she had Kaito or when she erased their memories. Maybe that still counted but saying it that way made it sound worse to him.

Toichi couldn't believe this boy, as intelligent as he was, could say that, with that accuracy. True, his boys' safety was higher than anything else and he was powerless to do anything. The fact was that Sharon, his own wife, knew that and could have helped when they arrived two weeks ago but had done nothing, offered no aid to find their boys and wanted them to forget when they learned she could help. Knowing it now, again, he was sure he had to wonder if she truly wanted Kaito found and that second act of abandoning him hurt worse than any knowledge of her power. He was fully ready to tell him that when Sharon started laughing instead.

It was funny. This young child who she barely knew that resembled Kaito a little too much thought she was scared of something. "I'm not scared, Shinichi. I know I don't want to take on this other witch and was hoping there'd be some way to do it without resorting to my rusty magic, but I'm not afraid. She's good. I didn't notice her take them at all before, and while I might be worried about my family now, it's them that have to get over it. My magic could have never tracked down this house as well as you can. I never knew there was a witch so close. Now that I do and now that you can provide me with a location, moving sounds like a great idea. I will admit one truth. I don't want to go alone and I would like you to come with me, Saguru. I didn't want you wearing that thing any longer than you had to. I would have liked you not knowing I can do a few tricks, but they were for extreme cases like this only." Sharon bent down so she was eye level with him. "I never have used magic on you before now, and I never will again unless I really have to, this time telling you since you seem to want to know I have a bit of power. You and Kaito, come with me and let me raise you the way I should have been all along."

"No."

"What?"

Sharon met her husband's eyes. "So you're going to take them from me?"

"No, none of you are leaving." Toichi met her eyes in return. "I am not being separated from my boys again but I listened to what you said and you still love them, I can see that. I said I would clear your name and I will, but," Toichi sighed before offering her a slight smile. "I would want you with me still. I remember what it was like not knowing any of you and as hurt as I am that you did not trust me, I now wonder if it was my fault in not giving you a reason to do so."

"I _did_ trust you. I relied on you to get me through life instead of my magic. I relied on you to help me raise our family. I relied on you to get us through this, even when I obviously didn't do so well myself." Sharon stood up, extending her hand. "My power relies on touch and eye contact. Keep looking at me and let me touch you."

"If that's what you need to prove it, very we-"

Saguru only heard the word 'did' and it stuck with him. He wanted her help but in this case, she really seemed to not like father and he was the one that always tried to help them. He started tapping his foot, hoping mother did NOT know what he was saying. His heart broke at what could happen but he _had_ to do it. When father agreed, he reached forward, jumping to grab her hand and pulling to make her look at him. "I am not leaving father behind."

Sharon was surprise, bending back down so Saguru wasn't making her fall. "I wasn't planning on it." If Toichi wanted to come, he could. She had to smile. Saguru was worried. He was so easy to read. "I'm going to need you to trust me too."

"Can we get Kaito first... I just... so I can trust you?"

Sharon laughed when Saguru's stomach said he wanted to eat first. "I need your trust first. I'm not going to go blindly into something dangerous with mistrust here. Your friend made a good point of that. Fear makes us stupid. Go help them prepare dinner. I'll be right there."

"I guess I am still afraid of losing my family in different ways." Saguru squeezed her hand before backing off. If mother made father forget anything again, he hoped Shinichi would make sure Shuu stopped her like he asked.

"You won't lose us, Saguru." Toichi brushed Saguru's hair back and smiled down at him. "We will get Kaito and have a new home where we can restart our lives."

Restart?" Sharon laughed. "I'm not sure about more kids. How about continue."

Toichi laughed as well. "That does sound like a better word for it."

Sharon stood again, reaching out slightly for his face. "So can we try this again?"

Toichi nodded and reached out, meeting her eye, this time willingly and trustingly.

Sharon held his hand in hers and steadily watched his eyes. She let some time pass, waiting, doing absolutely nothing.

Shinichi watched the husband do what he was told like a loyal puppy while Saguru looked between them as if one of them were about spontaneously combust or something. He sighed. "I'm hungry!"

Toichi blinked and finally looked over at him before back to Sharon. "The boys should have dinner. Shall we?"

Sharon let his hand go. "It has been a while since you've cooked. Why not? Just because I _can_ spell you doesn't mean I will now, so stop looking at me like you were before. I have never done it before now, like I told Saguru, and I won't do it again unless I have to _and_ I'll speak with you before and after."

Saguru felt guilty over the suspicion and slipped away to start working on the dinner, hoping to make up for it in a small way.

"Maybe a while since I cooked for _you_." Toichi held out a flower to her and smiled. "I did some for the boys so I am not rusty at all."

Sharon took the flower and smiled. "You never get rusty."

Toichi tipped his head and winked. "I'm glad that's not a secret."

Shuichi wasn't sure what he wanted to do. Magic was not his area of expertise by any means and he was better with the searching and figuring out solutions. He stayed for dinner but quietly excused himself to talk with Toichi alone.

Toichi followed Shuu, knowing he had to be wondering about the attack but he would let him speak first.

Shuichi let out a sigh once he was sure they were alone. "Missing children, heck even monsters, I can handle. I'm not sure how to react to witchcraft and this seems like a family thing. Do you even need me here anymore?"

"Kaito is still out there and I would appreciate your help. I want you to follow them, in case something happens. You proved you could sneak up on one and I would feel better if they had back up. It is up to you though."

Shuichi had to think on that. Apparently this other witch was a lot stronger than Toichi's wife and they'd outnumbered her and still he had been more than worried. There'd be three kids in the line of fire, since there was no way he'd be leaving one home all alone. "I guess I can do that. I won't be much help to you though if I'm trying not to be seen."

"I know. But, if worse comes to worse, the kids come first."

"I figured." Shuichi was there to play baby-sitter for all of them. "That's fine. I already set the traps back up so it's not like I could just leave. You and you're family are going to need a good lunch come tomorrow."

"And once we all return, anything you need of me, just ask."

"I don't think that's going to happen." Shuichi lit a cigarette, staring out the window and into the dark woods. "Are we really going out there after the sun has set?"

"Saguru wants to and, to be honest, if she is still going there at night, she could discover Saguru is gone and find a way to disguise the house even more than she has. It was hard enough following Saguru's voice."

"If we get lost, it's on you."

...

Saguru had made sure he memorized the way away so they could find Kaito later. He was sure he made it most of the way when things suddenly changed. He stopped and looked around. "That... is not right." He backed up, looking for the forked oak tree. It was the second thing he had seen leaving the house and it stood out. "Where is the forked oak tree? I know it was within sight of the bramble bush." He ran back to the bush and turned, looking in the direction they had been heading.

Shinichi was having a bit of a hard time getting his baring in the dark. Things looked different and he had to stand still a moment, trying to picture it in the daylight, to try and figure out where he was. "I didn't see it yet."

Sharon was afraid this might happen. She grabbed Toichi's shirt a moment. "Saguru," She called, as loud as she dared. "Come here."

Saguru looked around again, taking another breath to stay calm. He bit his lip and slowly made his way over. "I... I am so sorry. I thought for sure I memorized the way."

"Don't worry about it. You're a lot of help." Sharon bent down and drew the broken bracelet out of her pocket. "I'll take it back off when we're inside. Right now this can lead us back to its source."

Saguru saw his father look at him worriedly but Saguru straightened and held out his hand. "Alright- father, I already promised I would help get Kaito back. Please, let me."

Toichi knelt beside Saguru and rested a hand on his head. "I know. Just be extra careful."

Saguru brightened and nodded. "I will." He looked over at mother and nodded again. "Go ahead."

Sharon put the bracelet over his uninjured wrist, running her finger over the cut she had made earlier, sowing the magic back together. She put a hand on his head. "Everyone, keep contact with someone else, like a chain. Saguru, lead the way."

Saguru waited a moment for everyone to grab each other's hand or whatever before taking a step away from the bramble bush. It took only a few steps before he spotted the right tree. "There it is. It worked. This way." He passed the tree and it only took a short moment more to reach the mossy rock just past that. "There it is. The house." It made him sick all over to think Kaito was still in there.

Sharon held Saguru back, bending down and taking off the bracelet. She didn't know how it could be used against him. "This is bad. I had hoped that you would have still been able to find the house. The fact you couldn't means this witch friend of yours knows what's been going on and is trying to keep us away."

"Too bad for her. She acted like our friend but I want my brother back, no matter what."

"What did I say about who would win in a fight though?" Sharon pulled Saguru behind her. "Stay here, you and Shinichi. Make sure no one can see you."

"I know... be careful. You remember everything about the inside, right?"

"I'm sure your father has if I haven't." Sharon was worried about him. Toichi had no way of protecting himself and her own magic couldn't do anything about that. "If something happens, do as I say."

Toichi made sure to give them a smile and nod. "I have and I will. Let's go." Toichi scanned the area one last time before they headed to the house.

Sharon was careful even if she knew they couldn't be going unnoticed. There was a chance this other witch was out or simply couldn't detect them, though the second she stepped foot in the house she felt power. _There's a magic circle around this place_. That made sense. Something had to be cast as a boundary for the bracelet. " _She knows we're here._ " They had interrupted the spell a bit just by walking through it.

Toichi nodded, looking for any sign of motion as he made his way silently to the door Saguru had described. He tried the door first, just to see if they could avoid letting this witch know one of them had magic.

Sharon put a hand on his back, narrowing her eyes. There was magic and layers of it literally all over this place. The door had something just as strong and self-contained as the house seemed to have. "It's Trigger magic. The second I disarm it, if I don't do it the way the caster did, they'll be some type of reaction."

Toichi eyed the door and then the rest of the wall. "Is it just the door or can we get through a side way?"

"I'm not sure. I can't see any spells cast under the floor. I do need line of sight. I doubt just the way in would be secured though."

"Candy is easier than metal at least." Toichi knelt as he tugged a small metalworking tool from his pocket and started working on the floorboards.

Sharon watched. Her husband wasn't directly touching the magic until a few of the boards were brought up, leaving the underlying spells far more visible. This witch had been here a while. Why take the kids though? She noticed when he could no longer go through the floor. "Didn't Saguru say something about this house and digging?"

"They tried digging out but could not get past the edge of the building." Toichi pulled up another board and looked down. "I thought trying from within the house may make it easier."

Sharon bent down and put her hand on the door. "No. It's magic. I'll just have to break it... unless you have another idea."

Toichi took a step back and shook his head. "You break it, I'll go down and get Kaito as soon as you say."

That seemed like a stupid sentiment. There was a witch in here. She wasn't holding the spell back, she was destroying it. It wouldn't return. Chalking that idiocy to lack of knowledge, she slide her finger down the center of the wood, feeling the spell shatter like a pane of glass.

Toichi felt himself thrown backwards, landing hard on the ground. The smoke and fire seared his skin but he rolled, attempting to quickly smother the flames on him and looking for Sharon. He spotted her curled up face down near where she had been by the hole. "Sharon!" He ran over, pulling his jacket off and putting it around her.

Sharon's eyes burned. The heat from the fire had been real heat. This person used a true elemental. That meant they were likely dealing with some fire caster. She grabbed Toichi's pants leg after the world went dark and she felt his coat over her. "Hold on."

Toichi paused but his gaze kept going to the hole. "What? I need to get Kaito."

"Don't be stupid. I said she's been active. That means if we haven't run into her yet she's either downstairs or going to ambush us outside." Sharon blinked a few times, rubbing her eye with her free hand. "Just give me a second. I don't like my odds of rescuing two people."

Toichi ripped part of the bottom of his shirt and held it out to her. "OK, your way, just-" He stopped and almost swore when he heard Saguru's voice, muffled but yelling.

Saguru had been toying with his handkerchief when a loud explosion came from the house, shaking the ground. His eyes widened when he saw the fire and smoke. His entire family was in there. He ran, making sure to tie the cloth over his nose and mouth as he did so, going straight for the basement door. "Heeey, are you alright? Answer me!"

Shinichi hadn't noticed Saguru had run in at his heals until he spoke up. Shinichi was too busy looking around. He had _seen_ fire, he hadn't imagined it. It still smelled a bit like char in here. Saguru's parents didn't look so good... but nothing was burned.

Sharon got to her knees, making sure to keep hold of Toichi. "Saguru, we're fine. Outside, now. I didn't disable the magic around the house."

"What about Kaito?"

"Don't worry about him. That Trigger magic was only meant to protect. It would be pointless of it destroyed what it was protecting. Go back outside."

Saguru did not want to leave but nodded. He took a step back, heading toward the door and hoping they would be alright.

Shinichi started towards the door but stopped just outside of it, looking in. They never said anything about not going back inside.

Sharon took a few breaths, feeling hurt but she could see well enough. "Are you okay?"

Toichi nodded. "A little more than singed, but I got my share of burns at the mill. I'll be fine. You were the one closest to it."

"I have it about as bad." She slowly stood, feeling where her clothes had burned in the sudden fire. Her vision wasn't as good as she wanted it to be but she was as ready as she'd ever be. "No matter how I look at it, this will be a fight. Like I said, I can't win. For one, this witch is from a strong bloodline that relies on fire magic. Hers is stronger than mine in every way. The best thing we can do is try and get Kaito out and if one of us falls the other gets him and keeps going. I'd rather have you though than lose you and only get Kaito. We're walking into a losing battle here."

Toichi brought her hand up and kissed it but nodded grimly. "I understand. Ready when you are."

Sharon didn't want to lose either of them, and would hold back on saying she wanted Toichi with her more. She held his hand and forced him behind her, opening the door and finding it pitch black. Fire magic user. Of course she'd find her way better in the dark. Having light would spoil any 'surprise' attacks. Sharon could see magic so that wouldn't work on her and she took a few steps down the stairs.

Toichi stayed close, eyes doing their best to peer through the darkness. He knew from Saguru's count that they were almost halfway down when the door slammed behind them. Before he could turn, the area below lit with what appeared to be floating flames. In the center was a teenage girl and, Saguru had been right, she did look stunning.

Akako peered at her intruders. "Funny, they never mentioned they knew another witch. You're both kind of bothering me though. Can you leave?"

That jerked Toichi out of his thoughts and he had one answer for her. "Not. Without. Our. Son."

Akako shrugged, waving a few fingers in the air as if she were writing something, though in fact it was more like knitting. She smiled when a color appeared around the man's neck. "You were always 'dad' or 'father'. I never did get a name. How about 'Fido' now? Be a good boy and go run along outside."

He nodded happily, wanting to do nothing but follow ever word that was told to him. He turned to run for the door when he was jerked back by something. He whined, tugging and trying to get out like he was told.

Sharon took a few seconds to get a tight hold of the newly formed collar and send a cleaver of magic through it. "That will be enough of that. Did you happen to give him a necklace as well? I have to say jewelry on men was never that appealing to me."

Akako smirked. "I thought it looked great on him."

Toichi put a hand to his head, feeling out of it and catching a hint from what the two women said. He agreed with Sharon as far as the jewelry thing. He hadn't been before, now, he would never wear even a daisy chain.

"It looks like I won't be able to spell you. That only leaves me one choice." Akako held out her hand. "Leave, now, or burn."

Toichi met her gaze and narrowed his eyes. "Where is Kaito?"

Sharon pointed over to the side. "I can't see through it but there's a hidden door, right there. I'm guessing in there."

Akako scowled. "Warning two then. Third warning and I don't even ask nicely."

Toichi followed her finger. _"Do you think I can get through it or is there another magic shield?"_

Sharon narrowed her eyes. " Hidden _door. Only magic can do that. It's not like it's behind a tapestry or something. It's not going to be easy."_

"I hear you conspiring over there. That would be chance three." Akako erupted fire all around her, reaching as high as the ceiling. It made her hair curl about her beautifully, smiling as the heat did nothing to harm her. "Kaito's with me now. I'd like Saguru back too but I doubt asking nicely will work."

Toichi held one hand up over his face. _"Can you get to the door on your own if I draw her attention?"_

" _What's the point if you get in trouble and I'm stuck in a corner with Kaito?"_

Toichi knew they were running out of time standing there but he was not leaving Kaito behind. _"We need to do something at least and you're the only one that can free him."_

 _"And you're the only one who can get us back out."_ Sharon grabbed him and jumped off the side of the stairs so they weren't face to face with the other witch and she could quickly get to the door. If the girl wanted Kaito so badly, there was a chance they would be fine as long as they had him and the teen could easily spell her husband again once she could no longer reach him.

Toichi felt like he was lining them up to be burned but if he couldn't draw her aim away, he would do what he could to shield his family and get them to safety. He worried there would be another explosion but he hoped that her desire to keep Kaito meant keeping him alive.

Sharon cut down the ward on the door that was keeping it hidden, only to have another one put up in it's place. She didn't even bother turning back as she tore through that was as well, just a hair faster than the next one was put up as well, though not quickly enough she could get in. She grabbed Toichi's hand as she tore down the next few, knowing it took a lot more to cast them than to break them and, as they started to slow, she darted inside the room with him before another could be brought up.

Kaito was tired but he had been hearing noises from outside. The room was only lit with one candle but it was more than the darkness of the past few days so he knew that something had to be going on. He blinked from where hew as sitting on the bed at the sudden noise and light as his parents just kind of ran in the room - both of them. "Dad?"

"Kaito." Toichi closed the distance quickly, moving a hand to check him; relief flooding him to find him unharmed as well. He found the wrist with the bracelet and kept it to the side with one hand, the other pulling him close to his side. "Sharon."

Sharon couldn't see much of Kaito with Toichi engulfing him but he seemed fine and she had more to worry about right now. She came over and cut the bracelet, letting it fall into her hand as she looked it over. "This whole house is magic. I can't cut off the source, which is why I can't simply make a part of it different. I _can_ cut off the barrier now that I can see it though. We have two choice and we have to make them fast. Go back and find a way to get through her and up the door and out - or let me break the barrier on the ceiling and find some way to go through there before she likely either comes in or waits for us upstairs."

Toichi glanced around the room and nodded. "In here. I can prop the bed from the toilet to the wall and we can go up that way." He slid Kaito off and moved him toward Sharon, shoving the mattress off so he could get the bed on its side. It was much like working the ladder at the mill.

Kaito was very confused. He looked up at his mom, wondering if she was fine again. Dad was back so he figured she was. She picked him up and held him while his dad started moving stuff. "What's going on?"

Toichi grunted and shoved the bed toward the toilet. "Yusaku's son, Shinichi, managed to get Saguru out of here. Between them and your mother, we were able to get back for you." He crouched and heaved one end onto the seat, bracing himself to get it up and against the wall. "The longer story will have to wait."

"Get me? I mean, I know why we were trying to get out by why's everyone freaking out? Did something happen?"

"Saguru says you disappeared from beside him over a week ago and he had no human contact until this morning." Toichi let the bed hit the wall and shook it quickly before nodding. "Did you not realize you were taken over two weeks ago?"

He knew it had been close to a week since he'd seen Saguru and figured it was close to two since he'd seen his dad. He wasn't hurt or lost or staying or anything though, and he knew they were pretty safe here. He had missed the light, outside, and someone to talk to though. He nodded to his dad. "Yeah, somewhere around there. That doesn't really explain anything." They looked like they were running from a monster.

Toichi motioned Sharon toward the frame. "Go up first and break it. Kaito, Saguru told me he guessed this but I guess you didn't. That Akako woman kidnapped you and was behind the necklace that made me forget you. She admitted that to us moments ago after she tried again."

Kaito felt as he was put down next to his father, watching his mom climb the bed. He didn't know how his mom could get through the ceiling when he and Saguru couldn't but he was more interested in what else he had said. He had thought that Akako might have something weird to do with everything that was happening all of a sudden, but dad came back so he didn't really care anymore. "Yeah, I thought she might have but that's what people do when they're afraid of losing their friends. What are we running away from?"

"Kaito, she told us to leave or burn and is trying to follow through. If she was afraid of losing you as friends, why separate you and drive Saguru to live on the roof alone? If she had been sincere in friendship, I wouldn't have minded. Kidnapping and than this. It's abandonment and abuse."

Kaito didn't feel like he was abused. He was alone for a while, sure, and he would have liked to go out, but he didn't know how witches did things. He did notice that his dad's clothes were a little burned and his skin a bit red, so he wasn't lying. "I don't know. I guess because she must have been alone here a long, long time that I didn't think she was doing anything mean on purpose. Saguru never likes mean people and he really likes her." This obviously wasn't something he understood but he smiled at his dad. "All I know for sure is being alone is sad."

"Saguru admitted he did but that waned awhile ago. I got the letters with the lanterns and the newer ones were filled with a feeling of betrayal." He hugged Kaito and looked up to see how Sharon was doing with the magic shields. "We won't be alone anymore. Any of us."

Sharon broke the magic easily enough, breaking the floor was slightly harder. She had to hit it and then peel away layers. Even trying to fight against the spells keeping the house from restoring itself as well as those creating the candy to start with, it wasn't that simple.

Kaito knew he must be misunderstanding what that word meant when it came to real life. He knew well enough what it meant on paper. Saguru had felt the same way about mom, a lot, and Kaito had felt bad about it not because he felt it too, but because he hadn't and couldn't relate. The feeling now was the same. Was he stupid or something or just incapable of that feeling? "I'm sorry, dad. It was a little scary without her but when we were with her it was fun and magic and Saguru never smiled so much and I guess because she hadn't hurt me, I don't really feel the same way. Mom was really lonely when you were gone, I'm not sure if you knew. I think Akako is just lonely too."

Toichi hugged Kaito tightly and ruffled his hair. "I'm really glad you're OK and it's not your fault but being lonely doesn't mean you can kidnap or threaten other people. Come on. Let's get you out that hole and we can sort things out."

Kaito nodded. Saguru never got out much and when _anything_ made him smile besides a book, it was pretty cool. He didn't want anyone to take away the fun they had found here.

Sharon slide down the bed, eyeing the door. Close quarter fighting for the other witch was a bad idea and her own was better, so she hadn't been afraid of being snuck up on. "Come on, it should be big enough."

Toichi nodded and grabbed the frame. "Come on, Kaito. Saguru's waiting outside for us and I know he wants to see you."

Kaito had to hold on to the side and try to make sure he didn't slide back as he climbed up after them. This kind of felt silly to him, he didn't feel scared like he should. Maybe he really was broken or something.

Toichi kept one hand ready in the rare chance Kaito slipped but he needn't have bothered. He held a hand out to help Sharon out, squeezing her hand lightly and looking forward to having them all together again.

Sharon smiled, in a way glad that she had shared a bit of herself - though still something she planned on not using again. He almost seemed closer to her than he had been before.

Saguru bit his lip, wanting to follow Shinichi in after he went in again, especially after he heard a door slam. What if his parents were trapped now too? He had promised them a little more time but that ended and he was heading to the door, eyes sharp in case of another explosion, when someone came out of the floor and started toward him. His eyes widened and he was torn between laughing and crying. He did both as he ran to his brother and hugged him. _"So glad you are alright. I am so sorry."_

Kaito was very confused. "Why are you sorry? What happened? What did you do now?" Did he burn himself again while he wasn't looking?

"I thought you left me and then that you had died in the woods trying to get help and now I realize _I_ was at fault. I left you down there alone, magic or not, I should have tried to get to you instead of... " Saguru looked away. All those times he tried to get away, those dumb, dangerous plans. Only the thought that Kaito might come back just after he did it had stopped him. "I doubted you and I let you down."

Kaito knew only that his brother wasn't making any sense and he was hysterical. Saguru in his head too much was always a bad idea. That's why he kept trying to tell him to come out more. He backed up a bit and slapped him. "Stop being an idiot. I know you didn't really think I had left you _or_ that I had died. You let your mind get carried away _all_ the time. I was behind a locked door - so were you. I don't think I let _you_ down by not getting it open so stop being so stupid and sad."

Saguru blinked and touched his cheek. It was strange but he smiled. "I deserved that but I really missed you."

"I missed you too, little brother." Kaito grinned and rubbed his hand in Saguru's hair. "And I wouldn't have hit you if you didn't deserve it. Deserve it, maybe, possibly, probably. Actually, I might have hit you just for the fun of it."

"Do not blame me if I do the same."

"Just remember older brothers hit harder."

"Younger brothers hit smarter." Saguru smiled back and grabbed his hand. "First, outside. We have real food we brought and the full moon is out."

"Oooowwwoooo," Kaito howled, laughing. "I need mmeeattt." And then he bit Saguru on the arm.

Saguru shook his head and smacked Kaito on the back of the head. "Try that again, I will give you just the peas." He smirked and ran to the door.

Kaito chased after him, laughing. The _second_ he caught up to him he was going to lick him, on the cheek if he could. That would teach him for biting him when he had a tail and then getting to hit him after he returned the favor. "You're not fast enough, bookworm."

"We will see about that, loafer."

Loafer? Did he know how much energy it took to burn off all that candy? Kaito's grin grew as he prepared to jump Saguru instead of just catch him.

Sharon was worried about the witch and everything but she had to stare with a raised eyebrow at her children. "Not scared of anything, are they?"

Toichi shook his head and took her hand. "For good or bad, it puts us to shame. Come on, we can make it back by morning."

Shuichi stepped forward, thinking he didn't need to be hiding anymore if the kids were running around - the brown haired one clearly Kaito as he'd probably laugh if he ever saw Yusaku's son acting like that. "All clear?"

Toichi frowned slightly, looking around. "Where did Shinichi go?"

Saguru froze and looked over at his parents. "He went in just ahead of me. He- "

Kaito grabbed Saguru the minute he stopped running, forcing his hands to the ground and licking him on his cheek, all the way up and over his eye.

"Aaaah, Kaitooooo."

Kaito laughed. "I win."

Toichi turned to the house and looked at Sharon. "I need to get him too. He's my responsibility out here."

"And what's going to happen the second you walk back in there and she makes you think you're a dog again?"

Saguru looked over, trying to wipe his face on his shoulder and talk at the same time. "We can not leave him either."

Sharon had her family right now and they were safe, mostly, which means she had won. She wasn't really willing to go back in there for someone else's kid who shouldn't have been in there in the first place. "It was his choice." She sighed. "But I'm not going to continue with this argument, so what's the point of having it? Shinichi! Come out!"

Toichi headed to the door, looking inside for the boy and watching for any sign of fire. "Shinichi, we need to head back."

"You go ahead." Shinichi was on the floor, listening and getting the answers he wanted from someone that had them. He was a bit confused about some of it but it only intrigued him more. People will talk to you if you're willing to listen.

"Your father will never forgive me if I leave you behind. It's late as it is."

"Don't tell him then. I know my way back." Shinichi had had to stop his conversation to talk back once already and he was getting kind of annoyed and his host getting worried.

Toichi thought he sounded alright, if even a bit annoyed with him, but he had no idea now if Shinichi was himself in that way or not. _"He is young and inquisitive, like Saguru. Maybe you can coax him out."_

Sharon tipped her head. " _With what? He knows I'm going back too."_

 _"My guess is, magic."_

" _I told you my powers aren't physical. It's not like I can make a light show and get him to come out here. Besides, she'll feel me cast magic in there."_

 _"He might settle for answers, just try."_

Sharon didn't dare enter the house but she stood in front of the open doorway. "Shinichi, I think you were interested before, right? You wanted to know about magic? I can tell you whatever it is you want to know."

"I said it's fine!" Shinichi was getting sick of these interruptions. Maybe he should pretend to go back and slip away later. It might at least calm the others down. He didn't want to leave though. "My dad would say it's fine too. Just go back."

Saguru had shoved the food they brought at Kaito to get him off and went to the door, slipping past his parents. "Shinichi, come on. I know this place is great at first but being stuck here is not."

Shinichi didn't think he'd mind being stuck here for a while. There was so much to ask and touch and experiment with. "That's all a matter of opinion."

"Shini-"

Toichi reached out and grabbed Saguru's shoulder when he appeared to automatically start heading toward the voice, much like he did when Kaito was stubbornly refusing to come in at night or something. He was about to tell him that he would go when Saguru kept going.

"It's my fault I did not follow him in. I can get him." Saguru ran as fast as he could. "Shinichi!"

Shinichi took in and let out a breath, getting off the bed and walking to the doorframe. Saguru was way too loud and he wasn't about to let them have another fight over the other kid when he was learning stuff. "Shoo." He waved a hand, trying to get Saguru to go away.

Saguru put his hands on his hips. "I know the house is great but Miss Akako is different. If she finds you before we figure out how to help her like we did with mother, you could be made to stay here too. I can not leave you here now."

Shinichi smirked. "I'll be fine, really. Now get out of here." He had felt more than heard the topic of the conversation follow him to the door.

Kaito was busy with a sandwich and didn't really understand who they were talking to or what it was about but he met his parents at the door with a few bites in his hand left. "Saguru?"

Toichi put a hand on Kaito, making sure it was tight enough that he wouldn't slip away too. He could still hear Saguru and Shinichi talking and Saguru was just in sight down a hall. Saguru's posture would have made him smile if the situation had not been so dire. "He's trying to get Shinichi but Shinichi seems to be more curious than Saguru usually is."

Saguru frowned more and shook his head. "I left Kaito alone by accident, I am not leaving you. We can figure this out together."

Shinichi sighed. "You're all a bunch of morons."

Akako didn't know when she turned into the bad guy or when the kids decided it, but Saguru was here, right around the corner, and she wasn't passing up this chance. She stepped forward, going to put a hand on his shoulder when Saguru instead reached for Shinichi. All she had to do then was pull Shinichi further in the room, Saguru tripping along behind him, as she had all the doors in the house shut and the magic barrier up.


	16. Three is Company

**Chapter 16: Three is Company**

Saguru lost his balance when Shinichi pulled, or was pulled away. He landed face down on the floor and was sure he heard the door slam behind him. Kaito was going to call him an idiot for sure this time.

Toichi moved Kaito back a little. "You wait out here, I'll go get- Saguru!" Toichi jerked up when Saguru cried out just in time to see him pitch forward and out of sight. He started toward them just for the door to slam into him, forcing him out and almost to the ground. Even with Kaito there, he could not stop the curse at losing the two boys.

Kaito yelped, having to back away from the door and his dad when he almost stepped on him. He looked at the door, blinking. If Saguru was so afraid of him being in there, had even stayed outside the door when he was exiting, why had he gone back inside for some boy that he, himself, didn't even know? Knowing anger, if not betrayal, Kaito looked around. He didn't like bullies that upset his brother.

Akako quickly looped a collar around Saguru's neck, magically. There wasn't time to talk to him with the others here. She snapped her fingers, making the blanket rise like the carpet had and got on, helping Saguru up and seeing the other boy hold his hand up to her as well. She had to smile. "You _really_ want to come?"

Shinichi smirked. "It's interesting."

He looked over as the other boy came up, not sure what was 'interesting' and not really caring. He sat on the blanket as it rose higher.

Toichi had stepped back for Sharon to get to the door and break the new lock on it when a bright flash caught his attention, drawing it to the sky. He backed away from the house to see what had caused it only to see what looked like a large piece of cloth, like a carpet or blanket, rising higher until it was over the trees. He felt in his heart that Saguru was on there and called out for him before it turned and took off.

Sharon heard Toichi yell after she had gotten the door open and was in. She backed up and sighed. "A variety of magic carpet. I can't control the physical like that." That was one powerful witch. She could have killed them if she had really wanted to, and she hadn't. "I can't put a tracking spell on it that far away. I need to touch it." She could follow the trail though, for a few days at least. She just wasn't sure how well that would work with the forest. "I have an idea." She looked down at Kaito. This was still going to be a little tricky and she needed time.

Akako waited until they were far enough away and let out a breath. She wasn't totally sure what Saguru's mother, as it could be no one else, could do. She reached over and snapped the collar off of Saguru. "Sorry, I didn't want you falling off."

Saguru shook his head and looked around. He could feel the fear welling up but this time, he was _not_ going to fall a part. Shinichi and Kaito had both got that out of him. He had overheard Shinichi and Kaito... he did not want to let him down either. He met Miss Akako's eye and made sure to sit up straight. "Why are you doing this? Kidnapping is not the way to keep friends."

Akako smirked and sat sideways instead of just looking over at him. The blanket could fly itself. "Do you know why witches hide? It's not just from humans. It's very easy to live on your own and make humans scared of you. We hide from other witches too. Can you guess why?"

Saguru recalled his mother not wanting to face Miss Akako. "A stronger witch can beat you in a fight or even kill you."

"A little worse than that, but that's a reason too. Why do you think we don't stay together? Even I'm not with my mother any longer. Think about those deer, what I did to them. They didn't _want_ you to ride them, but you did. It's a small bending of the will and I make it so that it doesn't harm the animal. It feels natural to them. That almost makes it worse. Can your mother do anything like that? What do you think would happen if she wanted me as her 'deer'?" Saguru had hardly made her seem like someone that she would _ever_ want to be around.

Saguru was quiet for a moment because he knew she had done that to them when she used magic in front of them. He still did not remember it even now but he remembered why she had and why she said she had not helped before. "If you had stayed nice, she would not have wanted to do it. She would have had no reason to. You did it to me just now to make me come with you."

"I did it because I wasn't about to talk to you with another witch breathing down my throat, asking questions later. The _same_ witch you seemed scared of. And 'stayed nice'? What have I ever done to harm you? In fact, I noticed you were hurt a while ago but I was busy." Akako pulled out a pouch with some liquid in it, to help heal the skin since she had no healing powers of her own. She'd used the same on his brother. "Here. I have some new bandages too if you need them."

"She admitted it was a mistake and she was scared. I forgave her and I know Kaito never held it against her anyway. When we found out she was a witch and told her, she promised not to use it on us unless she had to and would tell us before and after. You made our father forget us and, once he remembered, you kidnapped us from him and then separated me from Kaito. Those were not nice things to do either and now you did it again. It makes you the one I no longer trust right now." Saguru kept a hand over the bandages, looking between her and the pouch.

While Akako had separated them in order to get Saguru to want her company more, it seemed someone had been thinking in that time. "Very well. You're not asking me nicely." Akako took her bag back. "And you're being rude. I never out-rightly harmed you and if you're being that much of a baby about everything, I'll treat you like one."

Saguru narrowed his eyes. "Not liking being betrayed by someone they liked is not being a baby. I really did like you, Miss. Akako, and I trusted you. You never answered my question. Why?"

"I thought I had. I took you away the way I did because I didn't feel like being controlled or killed by your mother."

"If you had not kidnapped us from father, you would not have to worry about this anyway. I thought we were friends and could have hung out with you when you wanted. If this is about being lonely like Kaito said and you just have no idea how to be friends with others, this is not how you do it. This is wrong and you are being selfish."

"Can't I be a little selfish? After all, I'm not human. We do have a bit of a different standard there." Akako offered him her hand. "And I can't really 'hang out' like you can. People just aren't that nice."

Saguru frowned slightly. "Hm. I thought we showed you we, at least, were not like that. Even father was all right with you when we told him about you. I am sorry, but you will need to earn my trust back, like mother did."

"There's a difference there." Akako rubbed her fingers together, making small cuffs that she formed around his wrist - insurance to make sure he didn't do anything to try and escape her company. A necklace, tight to his skin, ensured he wouldn't be telling anyone who didn't know her about her or his situation. "I'm not your mother."

Saguru felt the foreign items on him and grabbed at his wrist, trying to get that off first and then reaching to check the thing on his neck. The 'dog' comment his mother had commented on to his father came to him. He had a collar like a dog. He quickly went over his family, his home, everything he could think of. They were his reason to get home and he would not forget them. He calmed a little when he recalled everything and met her eyes. "True. I thought you were better than her but you just proved me wrong again." He turned his back, glancing at Shinichi as he did so. He wanted to say something. Ask how he could trust her still, but he had no way to say it. He sighed and sat, looking behind them and hoping his family would try to find him.

"I did not. _That_ is so you don't fall off and so you keep your promise, even though you're mad at me."

Shinichi let out a breath. He could kind of see both their points. It was why he hadn't tried very hard to get her to leave the house with him when he was trying to figure out how all this magic worked. He could also see why Saguru felt so bad but he was kind of being annoying. "Hey, it's magic. Do you know how often someone gets to see magic? She's not hurting us... well, I don't think she is. And this," Shinichi waved his hand around him, his eyes sparkling. "This is amazing. If she wants a little privacy with us, I don't see why not. I don't see my parents for stretches at a time anyway. It's not that bad."

"Maybe... but Kaito is the one that goes off and any adventures I have, we did together. Last time we flew, I loved it. Miss. Akako would remember, we talked and pointed to everything. It was fun and I had looked forward to doing it again." He held up his wrist. "'So I do not fall', when this is my second time this high and fifth time flying on household items and this is your first. If you remember us leaving, you have more memories than I do. I would rather be doing this willingly and knowing I can go home when I wish then to be forced to and have no idea when I will see them again." Saguru knew he had been a little sarcastic there but it was true. "You may be running away from home on your own but in the books I read, if you were a little older, you could be an accessory to kidnapping."

Shinichi was having a hard enough time getting his head around magic at all, and having it pertain to any existing laws was even harder. He shook his head, not willing to stand up on this thing, but he got to his knees and stared at the witch. "You... I'm not sure about you but do you really want to hold him like this? I admit, he might be mad, he might do something stupid, but even I will like to go home at some point. Please, he's got something about the spelled jewelry. Can you just take it off?"

It was strange, hearing someone so honest and straightforward. Shinichi _was_ a strange child though, stranger than he knew, but she'd save that information for herself. She let out a breath and snapped her fingers, breaking the spells. "Fine. If the baby is going to be a baby, there. I'm showing you the world right now and all you're doing is complaining. I'll take him home, in a while, okay? I can't tell you when because I don't know."

Saguru checked his neck and re-felt his wrists, just to convince himself it was real. He smiled and sighed in relief, really hating the whole 'controlling' thing. He looked over, turning a little. "Thank you."

"Hm. I don't think you've thanked me very often, even with the house, food, magic... all of that. You seemed too caught up in it." Akako had noticed he was more polite than Kaito but he had been a kid through and through. "Do you want to go back right now? Is that why you're acting like this?"

"I want the choice. I hated feeling like a prisoner when I knew I had committed no crime. It is the second worse feeling to being betrayed. You made me feel both with what you did. I felt you had done the same to my brother and now, even if he had been on your side, I have no idea if he will see it the same way anymore. Right now, I doubt I would ever want to see you again, but," Saguru looked back and then at her. "Kaito still liked you and Shinichi does too. I guess I know you have some good in you but, like you said, you are not my mother so keeping me against my will is wrong. I will give you some time, to prove yourself, but I do not want either of our families to worry. I know mine will be and my father will take the blame for Shinichi, no matter if his parents would be alright with this trip or not. Is there a way to let them know? If you gain my trust, you can come with us and, when we get back, I will help explain. If they still doubt, mother can break spells, as you know, and she can do it to me, to prove I am not controlled. Will you accept that, as your second chance?"

"I will not. I am not out to gain your trust back. If you give it to me, fine. If you don't, oh well. The second I go near your mother I'll be hers and humans would have no way of telling the difference or stopping it. No matter how much you trust her, I don't. And obviously I don't trust you. First thing you did when I left you was speak about me to everyone - in a town you weren't even familiar with, so obviously _you're_ the one who has to gain _my_ trust."

"We said we would tell everyone they were wrong about witches and everyone thought you were sweet and nice to help us. If you really did not want us to do that, you should have told us. I admit, I knew you were afraid of being hated, but that is why we told them how great you were." Saguru turned more to face her. "We thought we were helping make you be accepted so you could come and hang out with us in our new home town. Besides, we were scared and trying to find you because father did not remember us. We needed you to help him remember us." Saguru sighed and bowed his head. "I will apologize for it though. I guess we let our fear get to us. I am sorry."

Akako still couldn't picture a witch living among humans. At least, not a full-blooded witch. Power came in ever aspect of her life. If she wanted someone to do something, they did it. If she wanted to take something, she took it. If she wanted someone out of the way, they were gone. That was the way that life worked for most witches, even the few that found their way among a small group of humans. "You're cute. Naive, but cute. Just as there are some people who like dogs and some that don't, it doesn't matter if you get most of them to like me. The consequences of even one not are dire to me and my kind. Besides, I'm sure they all thought you had made me up as some part of a story."

3:40:20 AM

Shinichi shrugged a little and met Saguru's eyes. "I didn't think she was real, not for a while anyway."

"I never believed it to be real until I saw her either but father knew we were telling the truth and your father believed us too." Saguru looked at Shinichi. "They may not have all believed us, but they would believe them at least."

Shinichi could see dozens of problems with that, whether they believed her or not. "So they'd either be scared of her, like you are, and were, with you mother. Only this time she's not family and they don't have that trust. Or they'd want to use her, have her magic, and get her to do work for them. People tend to be good as a whole but this is something new, something I don't understand. I'm curious but... there was this spider one time. I'd never seen it before. It had these red strips on it's back in the shape of a star. I thought it looked so cool and I wanted to catch it. The others saw it and the first thing they did was want to smash it. As a human, I'll take our faults, but something potentially 'dangerous' is going to have the same results that Shuu and your mom had, only your dad can't always be there."

Saguru looked down. "I guess I always figured if something new came up, people would read and learn about it. I read about spiders so I know that one you described and it is dangerous. I thought Kaito was rare in his 'ignore books and learn about things ahead of time' thing."

"And look where they can turn. Have you ever _read_ a good book about a good witch aside from maybe The Wizard of Oz?"

"I thought that would help. If bad witches are ugly, beautiful witches are good. Now... I guess they are no different than humans. They can be good or bad no matter how they look or act."

"I don't 'know' know. I don't think your mother is really mean and I don't think Akako is really mean, but I haven't met enough witches to tell the difference. Adults don't tend to accept that kind of answer but I'm sure you can understand so I didn't keep it to myself."

"Saguru, did you want to go back home right now or not?"

Saguru closed his eyes, thinking. He did. He really wanted to be with his parents and his brother too. After all this time, why would he not. There was no reason now to stay away from them... except one. "I can not leave my friend behind. It is why I reentered that house." He looked over at Shinichi. "I will go back when you do, I just want a way to leave a message so my family does not worry. Is there a way to write something down and send it to the house?"

Akako thought about it and shook her head. "Not easily, not now that I lost most of ingredients."

"What do you need?"

"Nothing that's easy to get." Shinichi thought a bit. "How far away are we?"

"Hm... four, maybe five miles by now."

"You told me to work with fire magic." Shinichi pointed to the sky. "Smoke. We can just write them a message."

Akako smirked. That kid was pretty smart, and fast about it too. "Okay, what should it say? I can do that."

Saguru thought for a moment before smiling, blushing a little. "Hm, you would not think to ask for a secret word or anything, right? Kaito will know it is me if you write 'Olly olly oxen free'. We used it to let the other know we were safe, usually in games but I hope takes it the same way."

It was a strange word that she didn't know so she had to have him spell it for her but she easily wrote it in the clouds. It should be seen for dozens of miles. "That good enough for you? I still can't tell you when I'll be able to take you home or when Shinichi will want to go back."

Saguru nodded. "Thank you, that should work. Kaito will let them know." Besides, it was not like it would be that long. They spent a week the first time and Shinichi could not have that many more questions than he did at the time.

...

Mom was busy looking for something in the forest while he stayed with dad and the other new person. It was fine and all and he was having an apple while he waited, but he didn't like just standing still. He had been trapped in a basement, in the dark, for a week, and he wanted to move. Climbing a tree or two, his dad watching him like a hawk, Kaito went as high as he could, just to do it, and stared at the strange phenomenon over the tree line. "Hey." He pointed towards it, looking down at his dad. "That's really there, right?"

Toichi moved under Kaito and looked in the direction he pointed. "Unless we are both seeing things, yes. What it means, I have no idea."

"Umm either someone else who knows a witch is playing some sort of game or Saguru is? I mean, I don't think Akako would use that phrase. Maybe Shinichi would. It means he made it to home base, or that I couldn't tag him. He kind of used it the wrong way but I never got around to correcting him."

Toichi thought a second before letting out a breath. "So he used it to mean he's safe or he's telling us he's out of our reach." He looked up at Kaito. "If he used it with you, which way would he mean?"

"Usually he used it with tag and that he reached the tree."

"So he's safe. That's good." He looked up at Kaito and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you two. I never thought this would happen but," Toichi tilted his head. "I think we both need to find our own way to deal with magic."

Kaito tipped his head, looking down. "I have. I like it. I haven't really had it used against me besides trapping me in the house and I don't think I'm really mad about that. Akako didn't want us to leave and I knew you had to be helping mom." He grinned, crouching on a branch and jumping so his dad could catch him.

Toichi reacted and grabbed Kaito out of the air, swinging around and putting him on his shoulders. He returned the grin and nodded. "Saguru says he's safe and Sharon is the only one that can track her, for now." Toichi knew he had to get back to the mill or there wouldn't be a home for any of his family. Besides, if he and Kaito were going to do this, the millwork would give them more ideas than running through the woods.

Sharon noticed that the atmosphere had changed drastically since she had taken off. She put one hand on her hip and looked at the two of them. "I'm not sure what's going on here but I can get something to follow them, something I can put a tracker on. The only problem is only Kaito will be able to go."

"How soon do you have to send it?"

"Before their out of sight." Sharon waved her hand and a large black vulture that she had called to her landed. "It can't hold any more."

Toichi looked up at Kaito before holding the few small tools he had up. "If you're up to it, you can take these and go. It's your choice."

"I'm good." Kaito didn't want to risk losing any of his dad's stuff. "Are _you_ okay with it? You've been scared and I'm not used to that. I'm not scared."

"I had no idea what happened to you two or what was going on. Now, I have a better idea and you both have grown up since I left our home. Take these, so I know you'll come back, and good luck."

Kaito took the stuff anyway, shoving it in his pockets and sliding down his dad's back. His dad was about to let him ride a huge bird controlled by magic. He wasn't sure about growing up but a lot had changed. He grinned, running to the bird and waving. 'I'll be back!"

...

Saguru had been unable to resist watching the stars, tracking and timing the trip while listening to the questions and answers between the other two. He looked around as they dropped into a clearing he barely saw until they were right over it. The sun, now rising just over the treetops, hit the top of a small, crescent shaped lake at one end. There was what looked a rocky shoreline between that and a grassy area that covered the remainder of the opening, but it was harder to tell in the shadows of the trees and the low light.

Shinichi noticed that the blanket didn't quite touch the ground when they stopped and it gave him time to wonder what they were going to do in the middle of no where. It seemed magic didn't quite make something out of nothing, but what it did make required a lot less materials than he would have ever imagined. He didn't think she could just make another house or something, not with so little, or she likely would have been moving more.

Akako got up, stretching. She didn't mind sitting for a while like that, but the evening had been rather stressful. "I'm going to need to get some sleep before I do anything else. So, where do you prefer sleeping yourselves - underground, level, underwater, or up higher?"

Underground made him think of being dead and buried, sleeping underwater might be just as bad. He knew, after all the time on the roof, there was an appeal to being higher. "Up higher please."

Shinichi shrugged. "I don't care much."

Akako wasn't up to teaching them right now and making a place to sleep was too difficult. That left her with one choice. She has some basic magic she could perform without her house, though she was going to need to do a lot tomorrow, and alone, but she'd worry about that later. She put her hand on both their heads, creating a small spell to last a dozen hours, looking down at two small squirrels a second later. She took another second to spell herself as well. Letting someone talk with an animal body was too hard so, yet again, she didn't care to.

Shinichi had assumed that he'd be faced with more magically created phenomenon. The house has been amazing, but it had been physical. It hadn't all had to be magic. He'd been expecting something like that now. He hadn't expecting to be turned into something magic. He looked from much lower to the ground, the world much bigger and much brighter. Wow. If this was a trick, it was an impressive one.

Saguru turned his head toward Shinichi and his head tilted. Tails again. He was not going to lose control again but he was jittery. He could only think this must be how Kaito always felt. The need to move, look at every shadow. Trees were good and safe. He made a strange chirping sound and knew when his tail twitched. He kind of hoped Shinichi was able to keep control of himself.

Kaito landed and came around the trees in time to see everyone turn into squirrels. He couldn't help going over to Saguru and picking him up, the soft honey fur kind of like his hair color. "Aw, you're so cute!"

Saguru mentally thought 'cute!?' and scrabbled to get out of the hands and fully intended to get him back for that and licking him. If he needed to crawl into his hair or tickle him by crawling up his sleeve... oooo, it was a small dark hole, explore.

Kaito had been hoping to surprise Saguru but not _that_ much. He yelped, not wanting to hurt Saguru but his brother had just crawled into his _clothes_ and his little rat feet both hurt and tickled. "Hey, hey! Stop it!" He took a few steps backward, trying to get Saguru out without making him scratch him.

Akako dropped her magic quickly, looking around. She had far better sight than even many witches, being that her powers lay in darkness, but she wasn't sure another couldn't hide from her. "Kaito? How'd you get here?"

Kaito had tears in his eyes and was choking on laughter, unable to answer with Saguru still on him.

Shinichi didn't know why but he was breathing hard, tempted to either run up at the tree or run after the other squirrel. In his head he knew it was Saguru but he didn't care for some reason and he found his legs moving and his body seeking the other to chase them down.

Kaito had to fall to his knees so it at least gave Saguru and whoever an easier path to the ground. He knew there were tears on his face from the mix of the tickling and pain and he wanted them to stop.

Akako sighed. "Enough of this." She put a hand on Kaito's head as well, considering she couldn't reach the others, and let his speech go with his shape. Three confused squirrels were left before her. "Get a hold of yourselves."

Kaito was suddenly much smaller but he felt much better and let himself take in a few deep breaths, enjoying the feel of the grass.

Before the kids could run off on her, now that she had them all calm and they weren't about to show up inside of Kaito's shirt, she turned them back, hands on her hips which helped more with the fact that she was her current age. "I thought 'going nuts' was just an expression."

Saguru did his best to not blush and shifted from foot to foot. He wanted to tell her it was just getting him back but he knew he had lost himself and went beyond his intentions, which he did not want to admit to either but was less embarrassing. "Sorry, I guess I was more tired than I realized and it got away from me. Squirrels are more excitable than Kaito."

Kaito punched his brother. "That's for clawing me with your teeny tiny claws."

Akako sighed. She didn't think she was in danger but there were still a lot of questions. "Kaito, I have to ask again. How did you get here?"

Kaito kept his eye on Saguru, making sure he could doge any retaliation. "Mom did something to a bird and I kind of flew here. It could only carry me though, if that's what you're asking not so subtly."

Akako was a bit startled by that. Saguru seemed the more... keen of the two. She did let herself relax though. "I suppose your mother won't be far behind. Here, don't move a second." She touched Kaito's forehead, putting a shield around him so there wasn't a way for their mother to track him. She did the same to Saguru and Shinichi. "Okay."

Kaito folded his arms and glared at his brother. "I thought you would be _happy_ to see me." He spared another glare at the other kid. "And what was that for?"

Shinichi shrugged. "Animal instinct I suppose."

Saguru finally gave up trying to get him back. "It is your fault for calling me cute. I really did lose myself or I would have curled myself in your hair." He smiled though and hugged him. _"I am really happy to see you though."_

Kaito hadn't been around people for a while, and even the time spent with mom and dad just now was short. He relaxed a lot and hugged Saguru back. He had to admit, he did miss his brother, even though he'd rather be out with other people and doing other things as well - not spending twenty-four hours a day with him like he was before. It was better than that dark basement though.

"If I give you any less instincts you'll fall out of the tree." Akako thought about it. "I don't have enough materials for more either. All of you had better behave this time." She cast the spell, simply with a bigger circle so she didn't have to touch them.

It seemed squirrels could hug and he found himself closer to the ground once more and a lot of fur touching his own fur as he was a small animal again. He couldn't smile at Saguru but he let him go, touching him lightly with a... claw? before running up a tree. _Tag, you're it._

Saguru was not going to let him get away that easily and, in these bodies, he would be just as good as Kaito when it came to trees. He took off, tiny claws digging into the wood as he climbed the tree. He wavered a little and hesitated briefly when it came to going to the limbs themselves. His mind torn between reminding himself he was smaller and lighter to the part that insisted the limb would never hold him. So, this tree thing was a little more tricky. He shoved the fear away and took off after Kaito, stopped, took a few more steps, stopped.

Saguru would have had a heart attack if he were not trying to catch Kaito. The black squirrel was doing things only real squirrels could and as much as he thought about it and tried to just do it, his attempt to jump on one of the branches for the one Kaito had just jumped on left him clinging to it with his front feet and hanging there while he tried to figure out how to grab the underside with his back legs and crawl back on top. He chirped at Kaito, hoping he got the message that he would get him.

 _What are they doing_? Shinichi thought to himself. He watched the other two, Saguru trying to cling to the branch as if he had only hands and no back claws and Kaito jumping around like a monkey instead of a squirrel, digging his claws in too deep. He let the two of them run around like idiots while he ran up the tree and went from branch to branch, testing out his own claws and the new length of his body. The other two weren't stretching like they should be, making them run far too slowly. He easily passed them, jumping to a few other tress and testing running upside down and around before stopping near them, flicking his tail at them - an instinct he didn't really want to show off. He wouldn't attack them so he settled on using it as a show of dominance over them.

Kaito blinked a few times. He was good in trees. He had always been one to climb up anything high and just have fun. The other kid, someone he took for a friend of Saguru's and another bookworm, just ran past him like the wind. Watching him was almost... amazing. The other kid was _fast_.

Saguru tilted his head, his attention pulled to the brown squirrel and felt a little smug that someone, _finally_ , could show Kaito up at something his brother was usually the best at. At the same time, it made him feel even more pathetic. His tail flattened behind him as soon as he got up and he huffed. He needed to figure out how to use the thing for more than the knee-jerk reactions it made on its own.

Shinichi jumped down and over, going back to the other two. He walked a line back and forth a bit, one paw going over the other, the rhythm of it and showing how he was actually wasn't moving more than one foot at a time, though they were only off by the littlest of margins. He then sat on the tree branch, the thin part not holding him well, and tipped his nose at Saguru.

Seeing it done that way did help, since it was different than Kaito even. Saguru tried the pattern, missing a couple times when a foot was still up when another rose. It was harder to do, even if he could both picture and describe the steps and motions involved.

Kaito saw Saguru practicing and decided he may as well try it like that too. Shinichi seemed to be able to walk better on the thinner part of the limb than he could - or had been willing to risk trying.

Akako watched them and their teacher. She could find a good tree for a nest and make one while they ran around. It would have been easier but it looked like they needed to do a bit of learning still anyway.

Saguru was sure he could describe ever movement possible and the meaning behind a squirrel's actions. He saw Kaito improving and while he was moving better, he knew he kept second guessing his own moves but he at least caught the branch with his claws when he came up short on a jump, even if it left him hanging upside down for a few seconds until he climbed back on.

Once they had the basics down and weren't about to trip over their own paws, Shinichi took off. There was so much of the forest to explore with new eyes and nose and ears that could see and hear and smell so much better than he normally could. While studying magic would be equally as interesting, he doubted that there'd be any spells added to the animal one and he wanted to test his own limits.

Kaito was having a lot of fun. Squirrels could, of course, climb better than he could and it was fun being upside-down, even if it seemed to scare Saguru when he did it. He was sure he was smiling but it didn't really feel like he was. Could a squirrel not smile? He didn't care, having fun still running around his little brother, though Saguru was getting a lot better.

Saguru managed to get his feet under him again, frustrated with himself over the failure of getting his new body to do what his head wanted it to do. He tried going after Kaito again but, even if he managed to run along the top of the branch, his mind kept him from circling the branches or making the longer jumps that Kaito was able to do, keeping his brother out of his reach.

Kaito loved having a small, fast body. He could do so much he couldn't before but he was still smaller and found himself growing a bit tired. While he would have gotten tired anyway, he hadn't been doing much all day and that sandwich wasn't enough to keep him happy. He sniffed the air, in search of something small and hopefully edible.

Saguru was ready to sleep and had given up directly chasing Kaito. He settled down and watched his brother sniff around. He wanted to roll his eyes when he realized that he was looking for food and that made him hungry. On the other hand, Kaito must have burned more of what they ate the previous night running as much as he had. He tilted his head and looked around, debating on seeing if squirrels actually could eat any kind of nut or if a pinecone would due since he doubted any kind of meat could be eaten.

Kaito found some weird berries on a tree. He had eaten berries off of bushes and tress before and, even hearing warning, hadn't gotten sick on them. He was sure animals could eat more than he could anyway so he didn't mind trying it. Eating them was weird though. He found he had to hold onto it or it would go back too far in his mouth, where he couldn't chew it. That though, was fun. He ate a few, getting bored and partially full, and stuffed a few in his mouth before looking around for Saguru. This way he could have breakfast without trying to find the tree again, and he didn't know where they were going to sleep.

Saguru curled around a nut he had found, wrapping his tail around himself and finding it comfortable. He was amazed the nut could be eaten so easily, even if it was a little awkward. The front teeth were stronger than his own because there was no way he could do this as a human. He wondered what Kaito ended up finding.

Kaito spotted Saguru, his tiny fingers scratching at the tree bark. He wondered how quiet he could be and slowly started to walk towards them. His vision might be better now but Saguru wasn't looking around and, hey, he was a lot darker than Saguru and blended easier with the tree.

Saguru was not sure what triggered it but he suddenly bit the nut, held it in his mouth and got all our legs under him. It took a moment for his mind to catch up to the reaction to realize he had eyes on him. Cover. Safety. Or stand and fight. No, this body could not fight well enough. Unless it was one of the others watching him. Likely. But could he know that there was no danger? He had seen a small hole formed by the roots near the base and that would be safe. Saguru was really wondering how he could do anything when each thought could be countered so fast. Saguru blinked when things went dark and realized he had lapsed too much and instinct sent him headfirst down the tree to the hole, nut and all. Flighty thing, that's for sure.

Kaito laughed. It came out as a chirping noise but it still sounded very much like laughter to his own ears and he'd never heard a squirrel sound like that before. He even lost one of his berries but didn't care. Saguru was so afraid of going down the tree and he'd just got him to do it, upside-down.

Saguru twitched his ears and heard a squirrel chirping, knowing it was the sound Kaito had made before. He knew, if he were still human, he would be blushing. That was embarrassing. He curled around his nut again, glaring at the opening and certain Kaito would show up there to gloat sooner or later.

Kaito followed Saguru down the tree, paced a bit more simply because he wasn't running. He peeked his head around the bulges that his brother was hiding behind and tipped his head, his mouth still full, hoping that made it look like he was grinning more at him.

Saguru had just taken another bite of his nut when Kaito, as he expected, stuck his head in front of the opening. He could not believe Kaito managed to grin that wide with his mouth full and found he could not stick his tongue out at him in return. He twitched his tail instead and returned to his nut.

Kaito shook his head and crawled in beside him, spitting out some of his food. He was surprised it wasn't really wet. Apparently he didn't have a lot of saliva. He pushed one over to Saguru, curling up beside him and letting out a contented breath. This would be the first time in a while he'd actually been with someone as he was going to bed.

Saguru tried to make a face but it did look all right and the smell with the heightened senses was tempting. He sniffed it before pulling it closer. He had no idea how to say thank you but he managed to get his body to give in to tapping his paw on the other squirrel's head before curling his tail over them both and eating, happy to have his brother back too. He had no idea where the other two were but he was fine sleeping here.

Akako watched the other two from on high. It was cute, in it's own way, but she badly wanted to put a collar on them or something. They wouldn't go far, not like that, and she was sure the other boy would come back at some point in time. If he didn't, she was no baby sitter. Curling up in her little nest by herself, she spoke a few quiet words of a spell to protect them from anything out there during the night while she slept. Just in case.

…

Saguru wanted to groan when he woke under a warm but heavy body. It was comfortable but fur was in front of his eyes and he knew it was not his. It took a moment to remember they were not human anymore. He rolled his eyes, wondering how he thought Kaito would be less restless this way. He squirmed a little, trying to get the tail out of his eyes and maybe wake Kaito by giving his ear a tug if he took too long waking.

There was a bright light that he knew he recognized as the sun and movement that shook his sleep-filled world. He hadn't missed waking up this way. Turning over so he was on his stomach and harder to get off, he shifted his head and settled his face near what he had to guess were Saguru's shoulder blades. It was comfortable.

Saguru mentally groaned and, after trying to get him off a few more times, relented and experimented with moving his tail to see if he could tickle his brother somehow.

Kaito sneezed when something brushed past his nose. He shifted, realizing he still had the berries in his cheeks from last night and spit them out to the side. Shaking his head he got the rest of the way off of Saguru and kicked at him with a tiny foot.

Saguru squeaked and spun to face him, mentally rolling his eyes and making a face at the additional berries that were now next to where he had been. He could not believe Kaito slept with his mouth full.

Shinichi had slept, for a little bit at least. The noise woke him and he went over, soon discovering it was only the other two and not more squirrels, running back off to see what new sights the morning had to offer.

Akako came down, hoping to catch all of them before the one boy ran off again. That was a bit annoying but she was at least able to get the other two before they ran off. "This was only for the night. Come here." She wasn't about to change them back in the tree roots.

Kaito moaned and it came out as some kind of weird chirps. He liked being a squirrel. There was so much more freedom. Not having words though was a bit of a downside. While he was still small he quickly went and took one of the berries, eating it so he would, hopefully, not be hungry.

Saguru paused midstep before wondering if Kaito had the right idea. Eating the small amount now with a smaller body could work, as oppose to being changed back and needing to eat more. Besides, it would serve him right if he lost out on one for laying on top of him. He darted his paw in and grabbed one, eating it quickly before dashing out and sitting quietly in the grass.

Saguru was such a pushover, being a nice, good, little boy to even their kidnapper. He quickly ate a second before follow his brother out, spitting what was left of it at Saguru's face before sitting next to him.

Saguru instantly started telling Kaito off as he wiped the pieces off his fur, the chirps and squeaks mixed and, even without words, he was going to make sure Kaito knew what he meant.

Akako rolled her eyes, speaking a few quiet words and weaving magic around them. The chirping was so loud.

Kaito snickered, once he felt he had the vocal range to do it. He couldn't help it.

Saguru huffed and crossed his arms, glaring at his brother.

Akako had to wonder why Saguru was so bothered at all when she had separated them. They hadn't brought up that conversation so she'd let it go. "I have more magic now, and time. While I'd like to set up a house, doing so in the middle of nowhere with nothing is still near impossible. I suppose doing something like this every night will be easier while I slowly make up a new home." She wasn't going to stay where she was, with that other witch knowing. Akako smiled, her age yet again around theirs. "Before that, and as I don't have that other boy with all his questions right now, are either of you interested in anything at the moment?"

Kaito shrugged, nudging Saguru. He felt the strange urge to tackle him still, holding off only because it might get violent.

Saguru had been wondering some things but still had no idea what was safe to ask or how to word things to get at the differences between her and their mother. He did not want her to know what their mother could do, what she was limited to, just in case Miss Akako still turned out to be bad. When Kaito nudged him, he glanced over, realizing Kaito knew less of mother than he did. He turned back to her and swallowed. "Not right now, thank you."

"Feel free whenever. You are with me for a while, unless, of course, you're going to leave while I'm not looking. You'd go back on your word though, and I don't think you would." Akako let out a breath. "I have no kitchen or books or anything anymore. I do need to gather some things. Would you mind a few hours in the forest on your own?"

Saguru shook his head. "No, we will be fine." He reached for his brother's hand and tugged him. "Come on, we can wash up in the lake."

Kaito had no idea what Saguru was doing but he certainly wasn't going to throw him in the lake. "See you later." Then his attention was completely on making sure Saguru would get wet long before he did.

Saguru glanced over his shoulder at Kaito and, past him, Miss Akako. Since they had been squirrels, Saguru could not tell Kaito what he knew, now, he had that chance.

Kaito stopped them before they reached the water. "You're not getting me in there with clothes on."

Saguru rolled his eyes. "You need to wash them anyway and we need to talk. I have a lot to tell you and I do not want her to know, just in case."

Kaito knew he had a point there but there was a difference between going in there naked and washing his clothes, and being pushed in there with even his shoes on. "Okay, but before the lake then." Kaito didn't really know what he had to tell him but he had been locked up for a while.

Saguru shook his head. "No revenge for when you knocked me into the creek, promise. I still feel berry in my hair though so I am going to wash while I talk." He continued on and knelt by the water, cupping his hands and taking a few sips first before he started to tell Kaito, in a very quiet voice, about what mother could do and what he overheard Miss Akako telling Shinichi.

Kaito had noticed mom doing some weird things and everything Saguru said just finished putting the pieces together. He got off his clothes, bathing a little ways away from Saguru while he spoke. There wasn't much that he could tell in return besides the fact that he'd been in the dark and really bored while they were separated.

Saguru was glad to be clean but smiled a little at being back with his brother. He waited until he was turned away and splashed some water toward him before making sure he acted like he had done nothing.

Kaito grinned, ducking under the water and going after his brother. It wasn't like he could get any more wet and he wasn't wearing clothes. It had been a while since he'd had the chance to do something like this, and, though not as long, a while since Saguru seemed just as interested in playing with him and not just being a victim.

Saguru took a few steps back when Kaito dove, knowing that he was coming for him but this time, he would be ready.

Kaito was able to open his eyes under the water and chase Saguru faster than he could run with the water. He was afraid he'd kick him so he did the next best thing, flipping backwards easily and making his legs stick up and kick water at him.

Saguru held up his arms when the splashing started, crouched and began to circle Kaito to minimize the amount of water that could reach him and maybe sneak up on him.

Kaito needed to come up for air and noticed Saguru close to his side. He didn't want to kick him, pushing forward with his hands and turning to spray him more, this time to take off. He made sure he was a few feet away at least before coming up for air and smiling.

Saguru swung some water at him but he was laughing. He missed this a lot and, even if he got on his nerves sometimes, he was not going to let them be separated again.

Kaito splashed Saguru back, Saguru really needing to work on 'playing' more often. He wiped his eye where some water had gotten into it, feeling something brush past his leg as he looked down, the hair on the back of his neck standing up as he froze. Shivering, Kaito pulled his leg back and looked closer at the water.

Saguru smirked. "Is the water too cold for you?"

"Ah, yeah, a little." Kaito would rather admit to cold water than that he was afraid of the stupid little things in it. He was never sure if his brother had found out about that one failed prank that had left him trapped with the slimy things for hours before one of the others decided to help him out. In any case, he wasn't staying in the water any longer.

Saguru shook his head, enjoying the water and deciding to swim a bit more. "I guess you need to wait until the afternoons to swim if you can not stand it in the morning."

Kaito didn't answer him, drying himself off as best he could and dampening his clothes as he put them on. He shivered again, knowing it would be a while until he bathed again. There was no way he'd go back in there willingly. With all the water near them having far less of those things than it had in the past, he had forgotten just how many there were.

Saguru rolled his eyes. The water was not close to cold to him so he dove under himself and smiled as he looked around before swimming.

Bored and not wanting Saguru to figure anything out, Kaito looked to the trees instead. Akako seemed gone now, and as much as he wanted to be an animal again, he had to wonder if some of his talents _weren't_ a little magical. He was faster, more athletic, than a lot of the other kids. Saguru and he were both far smarter, if he ever wanted to put any effort into schoolwork. Was magic really just for girls, or did it just take a different form with them?

Saguru explored the water after swimming from one end to the other. There were a lot of fish here and he knew they could be cooked. It had been a while since they last ate fish with how hard they were to catch. He drifted face down, glancing around at them and wondering how to herd them to the shore.

Shinichi had had to sleep but exploring the forest and its animals was amazing. As small and lithe as he was, he was a possible meal to many of them but a hard one to catch. There didn't seem to be any shortage of game over here and he wondered if that town shouldn't just all move up and leave to somewhere like here. He didn't care about that much though, and had no say in it, smelling new plants and berries, watching both sleeping and awake animals that he'd never had the chance to observe this closely before.

Saguru managed to form a pile of dirt and branches to form a corral to put a few of the fish and let them swim until he made a fire. He knew rubbing sticks should do it and now, without Miss Akako, he could try it for himself.

Kaito flipped around for another tree branch, feeling how easy it was. It wasn't easy for Saguru though... or at least, he didn't know. His brother had never really tried so it was hard to tell. He dropped down, staying far away from where he noticed a splash. "Hey, I've been wondering... we're twins and that's weird enough, considering we look nothing alike but are we more than different? We're not really like the other kids." He used to take pride in that fact. Now he was just confused.

Saguru looked up from where he was trying to get some smoke and frowned. "Shinichi is like us. He picks up things pretty fast and knows a loot of what I do. To be honest, I thought the other kids in town must have just never really tried. How you kept up with me goofing off, I never figured out. Why?"

"Well, he probably tried hard, like you said. I don't think I ever did, or do. And I know everything the second I'm taught it. You don't study either, so you can't say stuff like that." Kaito tipped his head towards the water. "And you're one of the only people who can keep up with me, when you actually want to try. No one else can. _Unless they're a squirrel, maybe,_ but I'm talking about normally. I never really had to _try_ with anything. Once I know it, I just kind of know it. I can even outrun our teacher. I don't think kids are suppose to be able to do that, are they?"

Saguru paused, thinking about how he had, at times, thought the teachers and most adults were ignoring things that were right in front of them. He brushed it off as them thinking he would not notice or something and enjoyed proving them wrong by pointing things out. Now, he had to wonder if they really had not known or figured out whatever it was. "So, even if magic is in women like mother and Miss Akako, maybe you and I are in between?" That was strange. "Hm, we can ask Shinichi when he shows up but he took to being a squirrel better than either of us. I wonder if his mother is a hidden witch too. She was apparently the one that mentioned the necklace."

Kaito shrugged. "I don't' think I would have believed in witches at all. Thinking that they might just be running around and we didn't notice isn't that much of a bigger step. Isn't he a squirrel still though?'

"I think so. He was not with us so unless he came across her while she was out, he is still scampering around." Saguru felt a small tug at his mouth. "You know, maybe you do have some of mother's abilities. Our parents were the only ones that were immune to your smile and fast talking to get out of trouble."

Kaito smirked back. "Well then I'm not, seeing as I couldn't get dad. _You_ were the one who always wormed me into trouble when I didn't really do anything."

Saguru smirked. "You did enough things without being caught, I was balancing those out."

Kaito shrugged, wanting to push Saguru if he were closer. He looked up at the sky. "You know, I like being away from home right now, as much I liked seeing mom and dad. There's was something scary about them..." Kaito lost a bit of his smile. "What do you think is going to happen to us? We were going to move but now everything's all confusing."

"Well, Mr. Suzuki will be building that house for us so I think we will still move there once we get together again." Saguru sighed. "I would rather we could do this but closer to one of the towns. This far away, with no way to see them if something happens. It has felt like an attempt at a fancy prison."

Kaito could understand that, but there was something he understood far better. He had met a girl in town and several others, people who often avoided him. Those in the back, the ones who weren't smiling, like his brother, were always the ones who caught his attention when he pulled something. It was why he didn't really distrust everyone. Even the quiet ones who only complained about him were lonely, and being alone was sad. To the witch lady, even if she was the one responsible for keeping them stuck there... He didn't think she felt the same way about it that they did. She was always alone. "I don't know about a prison, but it made me sad for Akako. I don't think she knows what it's like to have a family, like we do. Mom and dad... they were scary when I saw them, only cared about us. I know why, we're family, but then I think that, being out here and with no larger contact, that there would be no one missing the witch lady if she were to go missing." He smiled. "Except us. I don't think she's being mean, or was. I think that it's a lot nicer to think that people aren't mean and we're all just confused. If it hadn't looked like her and mom were about to hurt each other, I wouldn't actually mind having a big sister."

Saguru sighed. "Before, I would have agreed right away but I do not trust her that much anymore. Maybe your trust in her will help both sides."

Saguru sighed. "Before, I would have agreed right away but I do not trust her that much anymore. Maybe your trust in her will help both sides."

Kaito shrugged. "You're my brother first, whether I like her or not. If you don't trust her, that's fine. I still have you and mom and dad. You used to like her though. I guess I haven't really noticed much about her aside from the fact that magic is pretty cool and I don't like that she made me be alone down in the basement like dad says she did. She could have left a light on or something. She didn't try to hurt me though and, even though mom has, she's mom. She was scared and said so and she came to find us so..." It was hard for him to really hate anyone aside from the bullies form school, and they didn't feel like bullies.

Saguru smiled and looked down. "Well, I am not going anywhere without you this time and if we are together, maybe we can figure out everything."


End file.
